Mammoth JazzFest Witnesses Performance by UCLA's Global Jazz Group
The UCLA Global Jazz Ensemble, a group of six talented students from the Herb Alpert School of Music's Global Jazz Studies program, took centre stage at the Mammoth JazzFest on the first day of summer, June 22, 2019. The performance, under the direction of acclaimed trombonist Duane Benjamin, was held at the Village at Mammoth during the free summer festival from June 21-22.
The Mammoth JazzFest aims to refresh, renew, and reinvent jazz, making it the perfect platform for the UCLA ensemble to showcase their ability to present a varied repertoire. Pianist Kimiko Daniels, a member of the ensemble, described the experience of playing in the woods during the festival as unique and euphoric.
The Global Jazz Studies program encourages students to think globally about the capacity of jazz to transform the musical and political world it engages. The program at the Herb Alpert School of Music is designed for undergraduate students seeking careers as jazz performers, producers, teachers, and/or jazz scholars. It builds upon UCLA's strong jazz studies and world music foundation.
The Mammoth locals were described as being very nice by Kimiko Daniels, adding to the positive atmosphere of the event. The ensemble's performance at the Mammoth JazzFest represented a blend of tradition, innovation, and global jazz culture cultivated at UCLA.
The Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA, established in 2008 and formally recognized as a professional school in 2016, offers vibrant performance opportunities through over 40 ensembles performing world music, including jazz. The Global Jazz Ensemble focuses on exploring jazz's worldwide influences and contemporary global perspectives, aligning with the school’s broader goals.
For more information about the Global Jazz Studies program, please follow the link: Learn more. The UCLA Global Jazz Ensemble's performance at the Mammoth JazzFest was indeed a perfect way to start the summer, according to Kimiko Daniels.
- The UCLA Global Jazz Ensemble, with its repertoire that integrates tradition, innovation, and global jazz culture, is a testament to the education-and-self-development they receive in the Global Jazz Studies program at the Herb Alpert School of Music.
- After their exhilarating performance at the Mammoth JazzFest, pianist Kimiko Daniels underscored the importance of entertainment in their educational journey, stating that the event was an immersive and euphoric educational experience.