University of California Jazz Ensembles

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The Ensembles

• Combo groups
• Big Band
• Cal Alumni Big Band

Schedule for spring 2012 is as follows:

• Dann Zinn's Advanced Combo, Thursday 7-9p
• Ted Moore's Brazilian Combo, Thursday 5-7
• Frank Martin's Advanced Combo, Monday 3-5
  
• Ted Moore's Intermediate Combo, Wednesday 1-3
• Glenn Richman's Intermediate Combo, Friday 11-1
• Marty Wehner's Intermediate Combo, Wednesday 5.30-7.30
  
• DeCal student-led Combo, Wednesday 4-5.30
• Jam Band, Tuesday 2-4
• Big Band led by Steve Campos, Tuesday 5-7

Music majors may receive credit for participation in UC Jazz when chosen as an ensemble elective. Please check with the Music Department for further information and with any qualification questions.

Wondering what it's like to be a part of UC Jazz? We have just added some testimonials from past students about their experiences with the program.

Combo groups

Advanced Combos

Advanced combos consist of the top players in UC Jazz Ensembles. Placement in these combos is restricted. The advanced combos perform jazz standards, challenging and contemporary material such as Dave Liebman and Chick Corea, and original compositions. Advanced musicians should have a thorough understanding of bebop and contemporary improvisation styles, and a familiarity with the musical languages of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, etc. Students should know diatonic and non-diatonic jazz harmonic theory and have memorized several jazz standards. They should have technical fluency on their instrument and possess advanced jazz musicianship skills, including sight-reading, transposition, odd-meter playing, and pitch/chord recognition, although the combos will continue to work in all of these areas. Advanced combos frequently perform at highly visible venues on and off campus and perform biannually at our end of semester concerts with the UC Jazz Big Band.

Intermediate Combos

Intermediate combos work on improvisation skills and focus on standard repertoire including tunes like "On Green Dolphin Street," "Confirmation," "All the Things You Are," etc. These musicians should have a good facility on their instruments and know the fundamentals of jazz harmony, including diatonic modes and common chord progressions. They should understand the swing feel and be able to improvise over forms such as the twelve-bar blues. These students usually have participated in high school or college groups.

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Big Band

The UC Jazz Big Band performs several times throughout the year on and off campus and at the end of semester concerts. Repertoire for the band includes charts by Sammy Nestico, Frank Foster, Gordon Goodwin, Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, and others. Musicians interested in the Big Band should possess strong technical facility on their instruments as well as good sight-reading ability. Improvisation skill is certainly welcome but not required.

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Cal Alumni Big Band

The Cal Alumni Big Band was established in 1980 with the intent of providing Cal grads and alumni of the Jazz Ensembles an outlet for playing big band music after leaving UC Berkeley. The band is open to talented musicians from all over the Bay Area but traditionally the vast majority of players are Cal grads. Check out the rehearsal if you would like to sit in and be a part of the band.

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