Health & Fitness
All That Jazz (Jam)
Jazz jams are held ten times a year at Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) in Mountain View. Players from beginner to advanced get together in ensembles and play a variety of jazz songs.
On ten occasions throughout the year, the sounds of improvisation can be heard emanating from CSMA’s 25,000 square foot building in Mountain View.
Several times a year, a mixture of advanced musicians, and those with more elementary skills, get together to play a variety of jazz styles ranging from Latin to Traditional and everything in-between. These jazz jams, which have been hosted at CSMA since 2005, are the perfect opportunity for jazz enthusiasts to explore their craft in a warm and nurturing environment.
The mix of musicians typically consists of CSMA faculty and students, with the addition of several community players. CSMA students often discover the jams from their participation in CSMA jazz combo classes. They may attend the jams for free. There is a $20 donation for community members, which covers at least two or more ensembles.
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Jammers work from the Jazz Real Book—a nice play on "Fake"—which often exposes players to new music.
According to Jazz Coordinator and CSMA staffer of 20 years, John (João) Neves, "People come to the jams for the sheer pleasure of playing with other talented musicians." John is no stranger to jazz, having studied percussion growing up in Brazil and flute with Salvatore Amato, first flutist with Yale Symphony. He has performed as percussionist/flutist with Corpo Santo, Brazuca, Viva Brazil, Peter Spitzer Trio, and Samba Pagode. He presently plays with Bossa Deep Groove and Sambosseros Jazz.
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John is assisted at the jams by Aaron Arakawa and Mary Helen Weinstein. Aaron, who also plays piano at the jams, often scouts the CSMA jazz combos for potential jammers and has the complex task of matching the best lineup for each jam based on the jazz ability, instrument and experience of the players. Mary Helen, who teaches violin at CSMA, has played with the Rochester Philharmonic, Women’s Philharmonic (as Concertmaster), San Francisco, Oakland, Marin, and Santa Rosa Symphonies. She was a member of the San Jose Symphony for 17 years. She has toured with Chuck Mangione, The Fifth Dimension, San Francisco Ballet, and Western Opera. As you can see, jammers are in good company.
Jams occur four times in the spring, two in the summer and four times in the fall, always on a Sunday. The next jam will be held at on Sunday, April 28 from 12-6pm. For more information, contact: Aaron Arakawa at aarakawa@arts4all.org, or jneves@arts4all.org.
