2011-12 DJC Youth All-Stars: Rico Jones, Tenor Sax/Alto Sax/Vocals; Tim Kloewer, Tuba/Vocals; Dallas Perrault, Clarinet/Vocals; Cameron Gelak, Trombone/Vocals; Matt Guerrero, Piano/Vocals; Ben Webb, Cornet/Vocals; Alex DeVillier, Banjo; and Mason Stillman, Drums
The Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars were created in October of 2009 by retired public school music educator Dr. Ed Cannava. Ed was the 22 year Director of Arapahoe High School’s three time Downbeat award winning Dry Creek Dixie Dawgs. University of Colorado at Denver Music Professor Bill Clark (tuba player and leader of the Queen City Jazz Band) has been a regular clinician working with the Youth All-Stars. The Denver metropolitan area middle and high school musicians have also received vocal clinics from Queen City Jazz Band singer Wende Harston and Your Father’s Mustache singer Shelley McMillion. The main sponsor of the All-Stars is the Denver Jazz Club. Flesher-Hinton Music Store of Denver also sponsors the band.
The All-Stars perform during breaks of the professional bands at each Denver Jazz Club monthly session. The band has been featured with professional jazz trumpeter Randy Sandke and world renown drummer Eddie Metz Jr. The Youth All-Stars have also performed with Your Father’s Mustache Band, the 101st Army Dixieland Band, and the Queen City Jazz Band.
The Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars represented the state as the only Colorado youth band invited to perform at the 2010 and 2011 Sacramento Jazz Jubilees. They also performed in the 2011 Montreux, Switzerland Jazz Festival, the 2011 Montreux Meets Brienz Jazz Festival, and a concert at Interlaken, Switzerland. The band has performed at 3 other Colorado professional events – the Summit Jazz Festival, the Evergreen Jazz Festival, and the Summit Swingin’ Jazz Concerts.
At the 2010 Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the All-Stars performed with a number of professional musicians and bands including: the 101st Colorado National Guard Army Dixieland Band, the Big Mama Sue Trio, Dr. Bach and the Jazz Practitioners, Bob Draga (Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Emperor and Clarinetist), Steve Homan, Jason Wanner, Shelley Denny, Ralf Reynolds and Ron Jones. Alex DeVillier sat in with some of the best banjo players in the world at the All-Star Banjo Jam. Musicians included Eddie Erickson, John Reynolds, Randy Morris, Scott Anthony, Bill Dendle, and Katie Cavera.
The Denver Jazz Club Youth All-Stars were the only non-California youth band selected to perform at the 2011 Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. They performed with a number of professional musicians and bands: Lance Christensen (Trumpet), Leader of the 101st Colorado Army Dixieland Band; Banjo musician Eddie Erickson; Dr. Bach and the Jazz Practitioners; the 101st Colorado Army Dixieland Band; Clarinetist Bob Draga; Kristy Reed’s Valley Finest; Cornet Player Charlie “Dr. Bach” Gehlbach; and Trombonist Jay Paulus.
Molly Sauer, cornet/vocals, was selected to the prestigious 2011 Next Generation All-Star Band. Rebecca Lugg, piano/vocals, was awarded the Big Tiny Little Memorial Scholarship, and Alex DeVillier, banjo, received an outstanding musicianship award.
The DJC Youth All-Stars will be performing at the May 25th through 28th, 2012 Sacramento Music Festival, and two weeks later on a concert tour to New Orleans, from June 11th through 16th.
