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Updates on Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective Season for the Remainder of the 2019-2020 School Year

Dear Yale Jazz Community,
We hope that all of you are safe and healthy. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, all Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective activities have been suspended for the remainder of the year. These decisions have been made for the safety of our artists, our audience, and the greater Yale and New Haven community. Regrettably, these activities include the 8th annual Yale Jazz Festival, which we cancel with heavy hearts.

Over this past year, we had the honor of bringing in such talented artists as Alexa Tarantino and Steven Feifke, Joel Ross, Shubh Saran, and Julian Roel. We held countless amazing jam sessions. We were thrilled at the success of our 1959: Breaking Free show, performed by 24 members of the Yale student body. We thank you for your support of our mission; we are excited about the future of our organization—and the future of jazz at Yale.

In a time of need such as this, we find strength in our community. This includes continuing to support the arts. Listen to local and up-and-coming artists on streaming platforms. Reach out to music teachers for Skype lessons—if there’s a musician you’ve been wanting to take a lesson with, now is a great time to get in touch. The arts give us comfort through distress, and we hope you continue to find this comfort through platforms that are still available.

The outbreak of COVID-19 affects all of us, and we wish you good health in the coming months. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and often, and practice social distancing as much as you are able.

We thank you again for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you next season.

Sincerely,
The Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective

YUJC Presents: 1959 Breaking Free

When: Saturday, December 7 @8:00pm
Where: Hopper Cabaret (189 Elm St.)

Please join us on Saturday, December 7 at 8-9:45 PM in the Hopper Cabaret for our thrilling student-run, student-performed celebration of the 60th anniversary of 1959, an extremely important year in jazz history. Renowned Professor of Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies Michael Veal will give an introduction that contextualizes the musical and social moment of 1959, so be sure to be seated at 7:30 PM!

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the pivotal year 1959 in jazz history, YUJC has assembled 24 student musicians from across campus to perform the music of Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, and Art Blakey. Each of these five artists embodies a conception of freedom relevant to the 1959 zeitgeist. On the eve of the Civil Rights Movement and the counterculture of the 1960s, jazz broke free from the constraints of the musical and socio-political status quo, approaching social justice activism in disparate ways, questioning the freedom of the soul, and challenging the notions of what jazz is and would become. We invite you to reflect on the modern day through the music of 1959.

Hot drinks, cookies, and jazz club vibes will be provided, and the concert will be free and open to the public! There will be signage in the basement of Hopper leading to the Cabaret Theater.

7th Annual Jazz Festival Wrap-Up

Thank you to all who attended for making our Jazz Festival this year a wonderful success. With close to 400 attendees over the course of the weekend, this year’s Festival continued to build on the Jazz Collective’s momentum, cultivating a passionate and tight-knit community of musicians and listeners who recognize the importance of giving jazz music and its descendant art forms a voice on our campus and our society. Your support is pivotal to the success of our mission. On behalf of the YUJC board, a heartfelt thank you for your investment and insistence that this is a cause worth fighting for. Here’s to another vibrant year of music ahead!

Warmly,

Hersh Gupta
YUJC President

7th Annual Jazz Festival: TWO DAYS AWAY!!!

We are eagerly awaiting the kickoff of our 7th Annual Jazz Festival THIS FRIDAY evening at 8pm with the Jane Ira Bloom Quartet at the Loria Center! Now’s the time to double check that these three events are on your schedules (and all of your friends’ schedules too!) To clarify, ALL of our events this weekend and otherwise are free and open to the public, no tickets required! Plan on arriving at least 30 minutes prior to the start of each show to secure your seat; we are anticipating full houses for each event!

See our poster above and check out our “Festival 2019” tab for more details. Feel free to reach out to yujc.info@gmail.com with any and all questions!

In addition to the three outstanding shows we have lined up for the weekend, we will be closing our Festival with a reception on Sunday afternoon at the Grace Hopper Head of College House (434 College St.) at 4pm. In order to help us reach our fundraising goals, we ask for a suggested donation of $20 for reception attendees. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLlzf2sPp49L6BytcZAyygva-kJ6c7EM3qUUhttFD8Q_cVpQ/viewform?usp=pp_url. We hope to see you there!

7th Annual Yale Jazz Festival Lineup

 

We are pleased to announce our 7th Annual Yale Jazz Festival lineup!

Jane Ira Bloom Quartet: Friday April 12, 8:00 PM
Loria Center, Room 250

David Virelles and Román Díaz: Saturday April 13, 8:00 PM
Morse College Head of College House

Nate Smith + KINFOLK: Sunday April 14, 2:00 PM
Robert L. McNeil Jr. Lecture Hall, Yale University Gallery

Find more details on our performers in the Festival 2019 tab!

MAE.SUN ft. Hailey Niswanger: YUJC Spring Underbrook Series

When: Friday, March 29, 2019 @8pm
Where: Sudler Recital Hall (WLH Hall, 100 Wall Street)

Come join us for the second installment of our Spring Underbrook Series! MAE.SUN is a band formed by saxophonist, vocalist and composer Hailey Niswanger. The group draws on influences ranging from contemporary jazz to soulful funk. To learn more, visit their website at https://www.maesunmusic.com.

Representatives from the YUJC will be stationed outside WLH to guide audience members to the venue. As always, the event is free and open to the public.

Sing Sing Sing: A Night of Vocal Jazz with YUJC

When: Friday, March 1 @7:30pm
Where: Morse/Stiles College Crescent Theater (304 York St.)

Come join the Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective for a night of vocal jazz music featuring some of Yale’s most talented vocalists and instrumentalists! As always, our events are free and open to the public.

Doors at 7:00pm. Downbeat at 7:30pm.

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Vocalists:
Cami Arboles (Shades of Yale)
Harry Castle (Duke’s Men of Yale “Doox”)
Kenyon Duncan (Doox, Whiffenpoofs Class of ’18)
Noelle Mercer (Shades of Yale)
Stella Sekoff (Shades of Yale)
Nancy Walecki (Mixed Company)
Jerome Walker (Doox)
Ariela Zebede (Mixed Company, Whim ‘n Rhythm Class of ’19)

Instrumentalists:
Jason Altshuler- Trumpet
Hersh Gupta- Alto Saxophone
Ethan Dodd- Tenor Saxophone
J.J. Borja- Guitar
Ben Grobman- Piano
Calvin Kaleel- Bass
Thomas Hagen- Drums

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Parking

Free parking can be found at Lot 78W, located at 78 Lake Pl New Haven, CT 06511, and at Lot 51, located behind Hendrie Hall at 165 Elm St, New Haven, CT 06511. Street parking (metered) can be found along York St. and along Broadway St.

Representatives from the YUJC will be stationed at the gates on Grove and York St. to guide audience members to the venue.

Ryan Sands Trio: YUJC Spring Underbrook Series

Where: Saybrook College Underbrook Theater (242 Elm St., Entry H)
When: Friday, February 22, 2019 @7pm

The first installment of our Spring Underbrook Series hosts drummer Ryan Sands, a New Haven native who has toured the world performing with prominent contemporary artists. Ryan returns to Yale after joining his brother, GRAMMY nominee Christian Sands, for an incredible performance on campus last fall.

Join us for a jam session following the performance hosted by Ryan and his trio! As always, admission is free and refreshments will be served.

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THE RYAN SANDS TRIO

Ryan Sands – Drums
Zwelakhe Duma Bel le Perre – Bass
Max Light – Guitar

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Parking

Free parking can be found at Lot 78W, located at 78 Lake Pl New Haven, CT 06511, and at Lot 51, located behind Hendrie Hall at 165 Elm St, New Haven, CT 06511. Street parking (metered) can be found on Elm Street outside Saybrook College.

Representatives from the YUJC will be stationed at the gates on Elm St. to guide audience members to the venue.

YUJC Student Jazz Combo Showcase

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When: Saturday, December 8, 2018 @2pm
Where: Saybrook College Underbrook Theater (242 Elm St., below entry H)

Come see performances by three student jazz ensembles in the Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective! Swing, bebop, post-bop and more. Special thanks to our coaches Jeff Fuller and Wayne Escoffery. As always, this event is free and open to the public.

Concert at 2:00pm. Doors open at 1:45pm.

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FEATURING:

Jeremy Goldwasser- Flute
James Brandfonbrener- Trumpet
Cameron Rao- Tenor Saxophone
Rachel Savage- Piano
Calvin Kaleel- Bass
Sam Panner- Drums
Coached by Jeff Fuller

Jason Altshuler- Trumpet
Ethan Dodd- Tenor Saxophone
Michael Curcio- Piano
Adin Ring- Bass
Sam Lopate- Drums
Coached by Wayne Escoffery

Hersh Gupta- Alto Saxophone
Gabriel Mininberg- Tenor Saxophone
Mat Ferraro- Guitar
James Wood- Piano
Jason Altshuler- Bass
Thomas Hagen- Drums
Coached by Wayne Escoffery

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YUJC Presents: The Music of Cannonball Adderley

When: Saturday, November 10, 2018 @8pm
Where: Pierson College Dining Hall (261 Park St.)

In the absence of robust performance and educational opportunities for jazz music offered by the University, the YUJC seeks to not only bring first rate musicians and educators to campus through our Underbrook Series, but also to establish performance outlets for our own student musicians to contribute meaningfully to the dialogue and campus culture around jazz music. This weekend, the Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective is proud to bring you a tribute to legendary saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, featuring Hersh Gupta on alto saxophone. The performance will take place in the Pierson College Dining Hall at 8PM (see directions below). Doors open at 7:45PM. As always, the event is free and open to the public!

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FEATURING:

Hersh Gupta – Alto Saxophone (GH ’20)
Jason Altshuler – Trumpet (MC ’22)
Ben Grobman – Piano (SY ’21)
J.J. Borja – Guitar (GH ’20)
Adin Ring – Bass (SY ’22)
Thomas Hagen – Drums (PC ’20)

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Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was one of the most beloved saxophonists of the Twentieth Century. His career spanned a myriad of genres and eras in American music – from the bebop and hard bop of the 1950’s and 60’s to the soul and rock-influenced jazz of the 1970’s – but his joyful sound remains as distinctive as ever today. Join us for an evening of music and a discussion about what his music means to us.

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Directions: If entering through the York Street gate, walk straight through both gates and into the courtyard. The dining hall entrance is immediately on your right once you enter the courtyard. If entering through the Park Street Gate, walk into the courtyard. The dining hall is through the glass lobby on your left!

For more updates on our events and activity at Yale and in the greater New Haven area, please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yalejazzcollective/?ref=br_rs