BY GEORGE WIRT, STAFF
WRITER
THE MONTCLAIR TIMES
The Montclair-based Jazz House Kids music educational program took top awards at the annual Charles Mingus High School Competition and Festival this weekend.
STAFF PHOTO BY GEORGE WIRT
The award-winning Jazz House Kids Big Band has performed at many local events including this holiday concert at the Salvation Army's Montclair Citadel.
The teen musicians at Jazz House Kids won top big band, top combo and best soloist awards in the prestigious competition. Among the honored soloists were Jazz House Kids members Coleman Hughes, Nathan Rice, Julian Lee, Liam Werner, Conor Malloy, Cameron McIntosh, Zoe Obadia and Wally Roney Jr.
The Jazz House Big Band under the direction of Julius Tolentino was a finalist in the Big Band category for specialized schools and programs and competed with the York College Blue Notes from New York City.
The Jazz House Small Group led by Radam Schwartz and Julius Tolentino, was a finalist in the Combo Category for specialized schools and programs, and competed with the Batterman Ensemble from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee, the Jazz Ensemble 3 from the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and the LaGuardia High School Jazz Sextet from New York City.
The competition took place on this past Sunday at the Manhattan School of Music. Prominent educators and musicians who listened to tapes of the finalists judged the live competition, which featured the top 12 big bands and combos from around the country.
This year's nationwide Mingus Competition included events produced with Manhattan School of Music, as well as other events produced by Let My Children Hear Music including a public concert of Mingus music conducted by Gunther Schuller.
The Mingus weekend began Saturday a full day of clinics and workshops at the Manhattan School of Music. The sessions included master classes for instruments and sections, lectures, films, and clinics that explore aspects of Mingus music, followed by a student Mingus jam.
Contact George Wirt at wirt@montclairtimes.com.
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