Living Jazz is an Oakland-based nonprofit whose mission is to build
community, cultivate creativity, and enrich lives by fostering the love
of jazz. The organization sponsors several great programs, including
Jazz Camp West, the Oakland Community Children’s Choir, and “In the Name
of Love,” an annual musical tribute to Martin Luther King. Jazz Search
West is their Bay Area talent search for jazz vocalists and solo
instrumentalists age 15 and up. The event gives performers a chance to
play with a band of outstanding professional jazz musicians including
such artists as Walter Bankovitch, Peter Barshay, Denny Berthiaume,
Deszon Claiborne, Mark Lee, and Marcus Shelby, and to receive feedback
from a panel of esteemed judges. This year’s judges are Kellye Gray,
Glen Pearson, John Calloway, and the dynamic Miss Faye Carol.
Launched
in 2009, Jazz Search West provides an opportunity for emerging
musicians to gain exposure and visibility and further their musical
careers – and it gives listeners the opportunity to enjoy new talent and
support vital local artists!
Visit Jazz Search West's website