Oceanside CA— The jazz program at MiraCosta College will host nearly 50 performing groups from schools around the United States as part of the 10th Annual Oceanside Jazz Festival, to be held at the college’s Oceanside Campus, located at 1 Barnard Drive. Jazz choirs will perform during the day on April 15 and 16, and jazz bands will perform during the day on May 7 Daytime school performances, clinics and master classes are open to the public and free of charge. Each day will culminate in an evening performance featuring MiraCosta College jazz ensembles performing with prominent guest artists.
Vocal Jazz Festival Concerts:
Take 6: Friday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the MiraCosta College Concert Hall, Bldg. 2400, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside. Tickets: $25; students/seniors, $20.
Heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet,” Take 6 is the quintessential a cappella group and model for vocal genius. Their ten Grammy awards and ten Dove awards are both records for an a cappella ensemble, and they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2014. They are six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel jazz, R&B and pop. Bass vocalist Alvin Chea will present a free master class at 1:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall.
The Leonard Patton Project: Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. in the MiraCosta College Concert Hall, Bldg. 2400, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside. Tickets: $20; students/seniors, $12.
Leonard Patton’s rich, smoky voice, unique style and sensational scat singing have made him a staple in San Diego’s jazz scene for the past 20 years. He has performed and recorded with such noteworthy artists as Geoffrey Keezer, Peter Sprague and Holly Hofmann. Patton’s performances include his wide-ranging compositions and lyrics and a very Bobby McFerrin-esque ability to imitate the sound of various horn and string instruments with his voice.
Instrumental Jazz Festival Concerts:
Mike Stern: Saturday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. in the MiraCosta College Concert Hall, Bldg. 2400, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside. Tickets: $20; students/seniors, $12.
One of the most esteemed and talented electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, and has also release 16 solo recordings (six of which were nominated for Grammy awards). A free master class will be presented earlier in the day.
Tickets are available online at www.miracosta.edu/buytix or call the Box Office at 760.795.6815.