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UKIAH – The Mendocino College Jazz Band won the community band division award at a jazz band competition held at the University of Reno on April 23-25.
Mendocino College competed against Chaffey College, Cuesta College, Moorpark College, MiraCosta College, Lane College and College of Sequoias in the community band division.
“This is a huge honor for our local musicians. Mendocino College is always the smallest college in attendance and for them to walk away this year with top honors competing against the large LA, San Diego, and Eugene, Oregon schools was quite a coup,” Mendocino College Jazz Band Director John Parkinson said.
Since Mendocino College competed in the Community Jazz Band division, it means that the members of the group are community members and not full-time students. There was only one full-time student in the group.
The Mendocino College Jazz Band performed “Tickletoe” by Lester Young, “China Blue” by Jeff Jarvis, “Opus One” by Sy Oliver and “La Almeja Pequena” by Gordon Goodwin.
Several individual awards were won by members of the jazz band, including the entire rhythm section.
Matt Rothstein won for alto sax and clarinet. Sunny Cordell won for tenor sax. Gary Miller won for trumpet. Paula Samonte won for vocals. The rhythm section consisting of Dorian May on piano, Don Cornell on guitar, Burton Segall on guitar and Eric Ehrenpfort on drums won individual awards.
Under the direction of Parkinson, there are 17 members of the Mendocino College Jazz Band. Paula Samonte is on vocals, while Matt Rothstein, Laurie Spence, Sunny Cordell, Nick Biondo and Tracie Triolo play the sax. Gary Miller, Tom Woodville and Charlie Sawyer play the trumpet and Adam Ehrenpfort, Josh Muir, Jake Turner and Al Bent play the trombone. Dorian May plays piano, Don Cornell plays guitar, Burton Segall plays bass and Eric Ehrenpfort plays drums.
The Mendocino College Jazz Band has been attending the Reno Jazz Festival and the Pacific Coast Jazz Festival at the University of California-Berkeley for many years. They have placed second many times at both events and have always finished in the top echelon of the groups.
The next concert featuring the Jazz Band is Tuesday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Mendocino College.
Another concert of interest will be presented by the Community Concert Band on Thursday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. Music for this concert will be by Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and George Gershwin. Making a special appearance with this band will be vocalist Paula Samonte.
For further information on the Mendocino College Jazz Band Program or to inquire about becoming a member, please contact John Parkinson at 707-468-3026 or visit www.mendocino.edu.
