Our new CD, "Generaciones," features the legendary percussionist Armando Peraza, and other Latin jazz luminaries such as Michael Spiro, John Calloway, Jeff Cressman, Orlando Torriente, and David Flores playing along side extremely talented student musicians. Nine original tunes were composed just for this release.
CD's are on sale at www.ljye.com and www.cdbaby.com. Please support the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco by purchasing a CD. The proceeds benefit our scholarship program and keep our program free-of-charge to all of our students. Click the album cover below to order your CD now. Thank you for your support!
Music Director, John Calloway
Co-Director, Sylvia Ramirez
Managing Director, Arturo Riera
Meet the LJYE
The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco, or LJYE, is a performing group of talented musicians ages ten to 18. Their repertoire features Latin jazz classics and original compositions at a level that has landed them gigs at the San Jose Jazz Festival, the KCSM Jazz Festival, KGO Radio, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF Museum of Modern Art, Paramount's Great America and the world-renown jazz club, Yoshi’s. The LJYE has shared the stage with legendary performers such as the great Cuban bassist, Cachao; piano virtuoso Chuchito Valdes; Latin jazz heavyweights Poncho Sanchez and Clare Fischer; and the Grammy Award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The LJYE mission is to preserve the traditions of Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music by teaching it to youth and to create role models for aspiring student musicians. The LJYE was chosen as one of the top youth bands in Northern California in the 2004 YouthQuake competition and won First Place (Youth Music) in Carnaval San Francisco in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Ensemble is honored to be Youth Artists-in-Residence at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens Festival since 2005.
LJYE Performs for the Recording Academy 2005Photography: Trish Leeper WireImage
Join the LJYE
The LJYE is currently auditioning musicians for the following parts: trumpet, trombone, tenor sax, timbales, congas, piano, bass and vocals (ability to sing in Spanish required). If accepted into the program, all students receive a full tuition scholarship.
Requirements:
Ages 10-17
Intermediate to advanced players
Ability to read music preferred
Strong interest in learning Latin jazz
Experience soloing and improvising in a jazz band
Ability to commit to rehearsals in San Francisco and performances throughout the Bay Area
Interested students and their parents will be invited to attend and observe a rehearsal. Then, a private audition will be scheduled with our music director.
If the musician is accepted into our program, he or she will be placed in either the Workshop or the advanced performing Ensemble depending on skill level.
The goal of the Workshop is to teach intermediate players the skills they need to perform in the advanced Ensemble. The Workshop provides a low pressure environment where students gain the fundamentals of Latin jazz while experiencing ensemble playing, soloing and improvising. It's the first step to joining the LJYE if the musician has had limited performance experience.
Please submit audition requests with the following information: musician's name, age, city, instruments played, how long they've played, level of interest in Latin jazz, school, and performance experience to Music Director, John Calloway at music@ljye.com.
