Jazz at Los Al will hold its annual fundraising concert “SPOTLIGHT” (a Class Notes Production) on Saturday, April 9 at the Los Alamitos High School Performing Arts Center under the direction of Justin Padilla.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. and there is a “Meet and Greet” with the artists at 5:15 p.m.
Class Notes fundraising concerts began more than forty years ago under legendary jazz instructor, Mr. Chuck Wackerman, who taught in the district for more than 50 years. The Class Notes mission is to inspire young musicians through exposure to professional musicians, and this annual fundraising concert is an opportunity for our jazz students to perform on the same stage as local professional musicians.
This year’s concert will spotlight “The Next Generation of Jazz” with performances by all the Los Alamitos Unified Jazz Bands, along with Special Guest Artists and rising jazz stars:
Ryan DeWeese—Trumpet and Alex Hahn—Saxophone.
These talented young musicians will collaborate with each of our district jazz bands during an evening that is sure to inspire both student musicians and the audience alike. Our community will have the opportunity to enjoy the best of “The Next Generation of Jazz” and our students will get to connect with young professionals who have taken their classroom musical experience into the real world. Proceeds from this concert benefit the jazz programs at Oak Middle School, McAuliffe Middle School and Los Alamitos High School.
This funding allows our students to participate in local and regional jazz festivals and to supplement their instruction with clinics led by local professional musicians. We invite you to support our Spotlight fundraising concert by becoming a Jazz at Los Al Sponsor or by purchasing a program ad. Sponsorships and Program Ads are available at many levels.
The deadline for sponsorships and ads is March 21. For more information, please contact Andrea Howe atandrea@ciunetworks.com.
Alex Hahn
Saxophonist – Composer – Educator
Alumni of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance and 1st Place Winner in the Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition, Alex Hahn is a multi-award winning saxophonist, composer, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. He has performed and recorded with notable names such as Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Peter Erskine, and recorded on Michael Bublé’s last two Grammy Nominated Albums. He is also a featured soloist on the Eddie Murphy movie Coming 2 America. Hahn currently serves as the Director of Jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and is an endorsed artist with Eastman Winds, D’Addario Woodwinds, and Key Leaves.
Ryan DeWeese
A rising young talent in the Los Angeles jazz and commercial music scene, Ryan DeWeese’s powerful sound, musicality, and stylistic versatility make him a highly sought-after performer and recording artist. He has performed with groups such as Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, the Tom Kubis Big Band, and Joey Sellers’ Jazz Aggregation, and has shared the stage with Sean Jones, Candido Camero, John Clayton, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Donny McCaslin, to name a few. DeWeese has also recorded on Michael Bublé’s love album, Idina Menzel’s Christmas: A Season of Love, Beto Hale’s No Hay Marcha Atrás, and episodes of Will and Grace and Duck Tales. He currently serves as a member of the Disneyland Band, the Kyle Athayde Dance Party, the Jon Hatamiya Big Band and Nonet, the Craig Cammell Large Band, the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, and the Clare Fischer Orchestra.
Aside from performing, DeWeese takes great pride in his work as a music educator. Along with his private lesson studio, he runs sectionals and clinics for various school groups and has served as a clinician/adjudicator at the Sitka Jazz Festival, Howlin’ Wolf Jazz Festival, and Aztec Jazz Festival. He is currently on faculty at the Lafayette Summer Music Jazz Workshop. DeWeese draws inspiration for education from his mother, who originally sparked his interest in music education through her drive and passion for her students. He has been fortunate to study from many great instructors including Laurie Frink, Justin DiCioccio, Tony Kadleck, Kye Palmer, Mark Gould, Brad Davis, Rita Watson, Chuck Tumlinson, and Jeff Jarvis, all of whom instilled in him a love of teaching music.
DeWeese received a full-tuition scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music where he was awarded the prestigious William H. Borden Jazz Award. After his time in Manhattan, DeWeese returned to Southern California where he earned a Master’s degree at California State University, Long Beach. While there, he served as the jazz studies department graduate assistant and directed jazz combos and the Jazz Lab Band.
