Concert and Master Class with Perla at Vista, and Upcoming Events

Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 2:00 PM
Jazz Appreciation Month - Alamo Colleges Jazz Allstars and Gene Perla
Location: Palmetto Center for the Arts, Recital Room 107
Open Master Class, 12-6 PM. Free Performance, 7 PM.

April 12 was an intensive mini-residency with Gene Perla for the Alamo Allstars. He coached them all day on the IASJ Top 10 tunes to know in jazz. In the evening, they performed in the recital room of the Palmetto Center for the Arts. Their growth as a collaborative ensemble was palpable, and the audience was enthusiastic.  Gene Perla, a distinguished bassist, has performed with such jazz legends as Willie Bobo, Patato Valdes, Sarah Vaughan, and Elvin Jones. He came to Northwest Vista as part of the college's Vis-a-Vis Visiting Artist Series.

This was the third master class and performance for the Alamo Allstars this semester. The first was in February, at Trinity University with New Orleans trumpeter Nicholas Payton, made possible by Musical Bridges Across the World, Northwest Vista College, and the Growing Jazz initiative of Trinity University's KRTU Jazz 91.7. In March, the group performed at San Antonio College and were coached one-on-one by San Antonio's own Small World, featuring Polly Harrison on guitar, Kyle Keener on drums, Chuck Moses on bass, and Richard Oppenheim on saxophone.

On Friday, April 15, the Alamo Colleges Jazz Allstars will perform at the St. Mary's University Fiesta Jazz Festival, which is adjudicated by acclaimed bassist Rufus Reid.  Next on the horizon for the group is a live studio recording and broadcast for KRTU Jazz 91.7. They'll perform and be interviewed as part of the station's South Texas Jazz Project, hosted by JJ Lopez. Stay tuned for more details, and watch the calendar at http://alamo.edu/nvc/programs/fpa.