Four Levels of Jazz in One Day

Ben Clarke behind the drum kit.

Any kid can start a garage band pretty easily; it’s a rite of passage in music. Being rough around the edges is expected. But starting a jazz band? That takes a lot more precision, musicianship, preparation, and cohesiveness. The same is true for world-class jazz players and also applies to youth jazz ensembles.

That’s what will be on display April 18 in University City for an outdoor concert/fundraiser, featuring four jazz groups operating at the highest level—and at various ages and education levels. The lineup consists of jazz ensembles, each from a junior high, high school, college, and professional local staples, the Euphoria Brass Band.

Though the four ensembles vary in age and experience, each is a fully realized jazz group performing at a high level. These are true jazz ensembles all sharing one stage, not your nephew’s garage band. Having a cross section of ages wasn’t always the plan for the show, it just worked out that way.

Says Ben Clarke, the UCHS Jazz Band drummer who’s putting on the event for the second year, “It wasn’t the plan, but I do like the way it turned out. I had a group that played last year and another one recommended Grossmont College.

“Melonie Grinnell, whom I contacted, teaches at Grossmont, so we put together a group of students and alumni, and I think there’s a teacher as well, to come and play.

Clarke added, “Then we’re right next to Standley Park Middle School, so we thought, let’s include their jazz band too. It kind of just fit together.”

The show is a benefit for the University City High School Jazz Band and it’s the second year they’ve done it. It’s run by the students, which includes booking the other bands, sound and stage plotting, and all event logistics—with a little help from Ben’s dad Chris Clarke, who will function as head sound man.

The University City High School Jazz Band on stage.

Funding for school music programs is nearly nonexistent these days so fundraisers like this can keep clubs and organizations going, offering a great life experience to the students.

About the kids, Chris Clarke had this to say about what it’s like to hear one’s own child in a working jazz band, “One of the things that surprised me is how much initiative these kids take. They’re working through the Real Book, figuring out arrangements, not just playing what’s written but adding their own ideas.

“There’s this whole creative process happening behind the scenes. Sometimes they rehearse in our living room, and I’ll hide out in the kitchen, just listening. You hear them putting their own signature on the music—which is really the intent of jazz. It’s super cool to be part of it, but also a little bit on the outside watching it happen.”

The Standley Park event will give the public a free chance to watch it happen. It promises to be a classic afternoon neighborhood park event—families, jazz lovers and interesting folks in the public with blankets and beach chairs on the grass.

In addition to the high school ensemble, the middle school band has a big band sound, not a small combo you’d find in a basement jazz club. The junior high level is where serious students are first exposed to real musical improvisation. Jazz players know their charts and parts, but the most important skill they learn is real-time musical communication, not just reading notes.

Ben described the phenomenon, “When I started playing with older musicians, that’s where I learned the language of jazz. You can know the song, but after a while you don’t even need to think about the form—you can hear where it’s going. Someone just looks at you and you know whether it’s time to solo or time to end. That’s something you only learn by playing with other people.”

Those moments of learning the language of jazz are exactly what makes school programs valuable for developing teamwork and musicianship. Jazz is a demanding, niche art form, sometimes both for performers and audiences. Yet when a lively group like Euphoria Brass Band takes the helm, it’s more of a party than the cliche of dry, laid-back jazz.

To hear it from Ben Clarke, “Jazz doesn’t feel like homework. I mean, give myself homework in the music—like working out of a theory book about syncopation rhythm. I enjoy it a lot more than, say, playing timpani in concert band. I find that having to do my jazz homework, I enjoy it.”

When advocates of music programs for students talk about the benefits for both middle schoolers and high schoolers a lot of the positives are these intangible results like working on a team, confidence building, and balancing academics with their music. Not everybody in a high school jazz band goes on to be a professional or even continues to play jazz as an adult, but for some the school jazz band is the musical equivalent of a Single-A baseball farm for baseball players. It can light a fire under the right students.

When asked about any professional music aspirations, Ben Clarke responded, “Definitely. I don’t really have a backup plan if I’m not playing music. It’s gonna be music.”

All participants stoke their passion for jazz and for being a group. Some will go on to perform at the college level. That will be on display at this event with the Grossmont College Jazz Ensemble. This is how young jazz players transition from student hobbyists to serious musicians. Players add technique, theory, ensemble discipline to their repertoire. The Grossmont College group is known for their big band-sound like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, or Eric Dolphy.

As the students hone their licks and moves, they also begin to understand the demands of performing for a knowledgeable audience. For all of these students at each level, jazz chops turn into craft. As they develop, they also have expectations of professionalism. When asked about any pickiness of jazz audiences, Ben replied, “Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed that. Jazz audiences can be really adventurous, but they do expect more skill than other kinds of music.”

Euphoria Brass Band will headline the event.

The skills these young musicians are developing won’t just stay in the rehearsal room. The April 18 concert gives them a chance to see and play alongside professionals for a larger audience, putting their own learning into context with San Diego’s jazz favorites, the Euphoria Brass Band.

Euphoria Brass Band plays music in the tradition of New Orleans groups and second-line brass bands—that comes behind main sections of New Orleans parades and encourages dancing and improvisational energy. But they also integrate elements of funk; this party music is what appeals to fans of bands like Galactic or Coolbone.

They originated in San Diego and have become local staples, winning Best Jazz at the San Diego Music Awards. They play regularly in San Diego and have toured for years, sharing the stage with the likes of Dr. John, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Funky Meters.

Sharing the stage has the students not just watching the pros and interacting with them. Ben Clarke tipped us off, “We’re also gonna play a combined piece with all of the groups; we’re gonna play ‘Bourbon Street Parade.’”

Throughout the day, bands will be sharing ideas and traditions in addition to sharing equipment.
Playing alongside Euphoria gives the students a chance to match their growing skills with those of accomplished professionals. They see first-hand how technique, timing, and showmanship come together in a live performance. And particularly with the fun nature of the Euphoria Brass Band shows, they take the music from rehearsal charts to a more energetic live party with an audience. Concerts like these don’t just benefit the student musicians. They introduce jazz traditions to the wider community and provide entertainment that can inspire audiences of all ages. The audience gets to be reminded that jazz isn’t homework; in its best form it can be lively and electric.

The fundraiser takes place in Standley Park in University City at 2pm on Saturday, April 18th. Admission is free but patrons are encouraged to also help support the high school program if they can.

Ben with his dad, Chris Clarke.

Events like this do more than give students stage experience; they introduce a wider audience to jazz traditions while providing an opportunity for the local community. For many attendees, it would be their first time seeing a high school or college ensemble perform alongside professional musicians. By placing jazz front and center in a neighborhood park, the concert aims to transform a casual afternoon into an educational and cultural experience.Says Chris Clarke, “We’re trying to build more of a community in the area, but also give the kids an outlet to perform. Also, to see Euphoria, one of the best at what they do around town and being able to watch them play up front will be really inspirational to everybody there.”

Younger musicians in the school bands get to perform for a larger audience and get hooked on the feeling of audience applause. Not only do they see up close how a professional horn ensemble sounds, but also how a large professional group does from load-in through tear-down.

Obviously, the concert is a great chance to give to the community. But also for these young musicians, April 18 is more than a concert—it’s a glimpse of the possibilities that open when passion paradoxically meets both discipline and improvisation.

The neighborhood park becomes a stage for the next generation of jazz talent, showing that simple curiosity and a few garage-band chords can grow into music that moves a crowd, inspires peers, and builds community. And young players can imagine their future musical selves