American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra

The American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra is a nationally known jazz band in Portland, Oregon and magnet school program, professionally training young musicians from 7th-12th grade, under the direction of jazz saxophonist Devin Phillips.

History

The band was founded in 2005, by Thara Memory and LeAnn Kritz. Many of the original members came from his previous band program at Beaverton's Arts and Communication Magnet Academy and from the jazz orchestra he led within Portland's Metropolitan Youth Symphony. Currently the band draws from all over the Portland metropolitan area, including students from Portland Public Schools as well as from surrounding communities such as Battle Ground, Washington.[1]

The band performs in competitions across the country, including the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center,[2][3][4][5] the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey,[6][7][8][9][10] the Charles Mingus Festival and Competition,[11][12] Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Swing Central at the Savannah Music Festival, and locally at events such as the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival and the (newly formed in 2015) PDX Jazz Forward Competition.[13]

They have performed with or opened for Obo Addy,[14] (alumnus) Patrick Lamb, Bennie Maupin,[15] Chuck Redd, Curtis Salgado,[16] (alumna) Esperanza Spalding,[17] Terell Stafford, and Randy Weston[18] among others.

Notable achievements and alumni

Many students go on to attend (frequently with significant scholarship support) some of the country's top music colleges, such as The Juilliard School,[19][20] Berklee College of Music,[21][22] Manhattan School of Music, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, USC Thornton School of Music,[23][24] California Institute for the Arts, Oberlin College Conservatory, and others.[25] Students in the band have been selected for the Jazz Band of America, The Grammy Band,[26] and The Monterey Next Generation Jazz Band.[27][28] Younger band members often get scholarships to attend the Berklee 5-Week Summer Program and the Vail Jazz Workshop.[29] Students in the band often also participate in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic, PDX Jazz Project, or Alan Jones Academy of Music.

Notable alumni include Aubrey Cleland,[30] Esperanza Spalding, Hailey Niswanger,[31] and Patrick Lamb, among others.

On May 9, 2015, the group won Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington high school jazz band competition, playing Ellington's Tattooed Bride from memory.[32]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-14. Retrieved 2015-04-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Jazz at Lincoln Center announces 15 Finalists for the 2015 Essentially Ellington Competition". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  3. "Jazz at Lincoln Center announces 2013 Essentially Ellington Finalists". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  4. "Winners of 16th Annual Essentially Ellington Competition 2011". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  5. "JALC Announces Winners of 14Th Annual Essentially Ellington". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  6. "Oregon Music News - Oregon's only all-genre, online music magazine covers music news and events in Portland and throughout the state". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  7. "2015 Next Generation Jazz Festival Results - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  8. "2014 Next Generation Jazz Festival Results - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  9. "Congratulations to the 2013 Next Generation Jazz Festival Top Groups! - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  10. "Monterey Jazz Festival Announces Next Generation Jazz Festival Results - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  11. "2015 7th Annual Mingus Festival & Competition Highlights - Charles Mingus: The Official Site". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  12. "2014 6th Annual Mingus Festival & Competition Highlights - Charles Mingus: The Official Site". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  13. Forward, PDX Jazz. "PDX Jazz Forward - Music. Moving". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  14. "Musical Reunion". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  15. "Oregon Music News - Oregon's only all-genre, online music magazine covers music news and events in Portland and throughout the state". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  16. AMPJazz (25 April 2010). "Curtis Salgado with Pacific Crest American Music Program Jazz Orchestra". Retrieved 12 July 2016 – via YouTube.
  17. "Oregon Music News - Oregon's only all-genre, online music magazine covers music news and events in Portland and throughout the state". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  18. "Error 404 - Portland Monthly". Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  19. "Cannon Beach teen Lake Jiroudek heads to Juilliard with a jazz guitar". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  20. Sadowsky, Dan. "Grammy Winner Esperanza Spalding Headlines Benefit Concert For Jazz Education". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  21. "VIDEO: Presidential Scholar Kama Bell - Berklee College of Music". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  22. Berklee College of Music (2 July 2012). "Kama Bell: Berklee College of Music 2011 Presidential Scholar". Retrieved 12 July 2016 – via YouTube.
  23. "Ted Case - Catlin Gabel School". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  24. "Aaron Reihs - Gresham-Barlow Web Academy". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  25. "Alumni". 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  26. "West Linn sax player, 17, will tour with Grammy band, open for Mel Brown Septet". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  27. "2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  28. "2013 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra - 59th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  29. "VAIL JAZZ - Vail Jazz". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  30. AMPJazz (30 January 2010). "AMP @ Clark College Jazz Festival 2010: Part 1: A Tisket a Tasket". Retrieved 12 July 2016 – via YouTube.
  31. "Bio". Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  32. "U.S. News - National News". ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
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