For those who were not in attendance, last night's youth concert at West Valley College was fantastic!  The crowd was both vocal and enthusiastic.  The Youth Jazz Orchestra was excellent and featured a wide variety of superb soloists but the night belonged to the Youth Latin Ensemble. 

From the initial rythmic sound of a solo drummer - to the kids playing off stage at the beginning of the concert - to the way they entered while playing - to the explosive tunes that had the crowd roaring - Dave Gregoric, ensemble director, should be applauded for building a top-notch ensemble from scratch in a couple of months.  The group stirred emotions and had people talking in the lobby afterwards.  In addition, the kids were jazzed!  You could see, feel, and hear raw emotion and passion as they played, supported each other, looked to Dave for guidance, and truly appreciated the support that they received from the audience.  If you want to catch these two spectacular youth groups, they will be featured on February 8th at the Improv as part of San Jose Jazz's SUNDAY SERIES.  These kids are not to be missed!

Harley Christensen
Development Director
San Jose Jazz