The Jazzschool in Berkeley has announced a new series of Advanced High School Big Band classes to complement the school's existing course offerings for advanced students.

The new courses are an outgrowth of the Downbeat award-winning Advanced High School Jazz Workshop, which was developed and led by saxophonist Mike Zilber for the past 5 years.

"When Jazzschool Director Susan Muscarella and I decided to offer a companion big band for advanced high school jazz players," says Zilber in a press release, "we agreed that first and foremost, we wanted to continue the Jazzschool tradition of having leading Bay Area players teaching the students. I am of the firm belief that to be able to teach jazz at an advanced level you need to be able to play it at the highest level. To that end, and to maintain the standard set by the Advanced Jazz Workshop, I have asked Erik Jekabson, the superb trumpeter/composer, to co-lead the group with me.

"Erik is one of the most in-demand and respected musicians in town," notes Zilber, "and between us, we bring a wealth of playing and recording experience with some of the best musicians in jazz, as well as bringing extensive teaching experience to the band."

The band will investigate big band works from leaders as diverse as Bob Brookmeyer, Charles Mingus, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler and Maria Schneider, as well as original works by Bay Area jazz masters. Students will also be encouraged to write for the band, with possible recordings in the future. The emphasis, says Zilber, will be on "interaction, listening, creativity and the highest standards of excellence," promoting an atmosphere where students "learn how to be better jazzers through doing and through the constructive feedback and coaching of Erik and myself."

Auditions for placement in the advanced courses will take place Monday night, September 10, from 5-10 pm at the Jazzschool. Please call the Jazzschool at 510.845.5373 to set up an audition time.

Max Roach wasn't the first jazz drummer I fell in love with (that honor goes to Jack DeJohnette)... but he was the first musician who made me fall in love with writing about jazz.

When I first started writing about music on a fulltime basis back in 1992, I was covering a wide mix of rock, jazz, blues, pop and assorted whatnot. Getting hooked up with rock stars was a major effort: begging and pleading with managers and publicists, record labels and venues for a few precious minutes of interview time.

Even when I did manage to hook a rock star by phone, many of the rockers I spoke with simply couldn't be bothered. They'd answer questions with rote, pre-scripted answers, barely masking the boredom that comes from too many interviews with smaller-market publications.

Then I interviewed Max Roach.

One of my first questions — "So, Max, how'd you end up behind a drum kit?" &mdash led to a two-hour conversation in which the legendary drummer gave me a first-hand, personalized history of the birth of bebop along 52nd Street in New York.

He was candid, insighful, generous with his time and his memories, and painted an indelible portait of the drummer as a young man: painting on a pencil-thin moustache with his sister's eyeliner to pass as old enough to get into nightclubs; his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (at the age of 18); and his work in bands led by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis.

And, as the conversation wound down, he thanked me for my interest, and for taking the time to write about his music. Here was something new, and astounding: sincerity. It was a revelation, an epiphany. To hell with these self-absorbed rock stars; I wanted to talk with real people, who make real music. Jazz, baby.

When I read about Max's death on August 16, it set me to thinking about my early days as a jazz writer, and the turning point in my career when I spoke with this amazing, humble and profoundly talented man. The experience still resonates in my memory, and led me on a journey through jazz that, after 15 years (and counting), is still rich with the excitement and joy of musical discovery.

The Monterey Jazz Festival is looking for volunteers to assist MJF staff in producing the historic 50th annual jazz festival, to be held at the Monterey Fairgrounds, September 21-23, 2007. Volunteers will see the festival up close, act as MJF Ambassadors, work with stage, public relations, hospitality, and other festival-related activities.

Positions are open to all, from students to seniors, and everyone in between. Volunteers may work behind the scenes or in a crowd, and are able to stay on the grounds after serving a shift to enjoy the Festival music, events and activities.

Volunteers are needed starting Monday, September 17, continuing through Monday, September 24. There is a special need for help early in the Festival week, with positions available to help set up for the Festival.

To apply to be a volunteer for the Monterey Jazz Festival, please visit the Festival’s website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org and look for the "Volunteer for the Festival" button on the homepage. You will find volunteer information and an application you can print out, fax or email to the Festival.

From the smiles of the tens of thousands of South Bay jazz fans who made the scene at last weekend's San Jose Jazz Festival (number 18, and still counting), the newly-imposed $5 cover hasn't had a negative impact on the festival's attendance... or its success.

In fact, according to Festival director Geoff Roach, it's actually helped boost festival attendance.

So the festival loses its one-time slogan as the largest "free" jazz festival in the U.S. Nobody seems to mind: not the fans (all 60,000+ who attended this year's event), not the 1,000+ musicians who performed on 10 stages throughout the weekend, nor the corporate sponsors who help keep the festival in the black as the economy inches its way back to pre-9/11, pre-dot.bomb standing.

Gorgeous weather, plenty of shade (and a nice breeze) to keep temperatures comfy and bodies cool, and 10 stages full of music: traditional jazz, classic jazz, modern jazz, a bit of the cutting-edge stuff, plus generous dollps of blues, Latin jazz and salsa. The only complaint heard was the distance between the various outdoor (and indoor) stages spread across the downtown district, which sometimes precipitated a headlong rush from one stage to another for the diehard fans hoping to create their own customized musical itineraries.

I caught a handful of performances on the run Sunday afternoon: the all-star United Alto Summit with Red Holloway (celebrating his 80th birthday), Frank Morgan, Charles McPherson and Greg Osby; East Bay conguero John Santos, performing with his new quintet (see our profile on Santos elswehere on the site); the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, showcasing selections from the bassist and composer's new oratorio, "Harriet Tubman: Bound for the Promised Land"; and the "Ladies of Jazz," showcasing the individual and collective voices of Gaea Schell, Pamela Rose, Joyce Randolph, Kris Strom and Kelly Fasman.

Too much music, too little time. We should all have such problems...

And while dashing from stage to stage across the entire downtown district (or so it seemed), fellow photographer Stuart Brinin and I took a few photos as well. Visit our Photo Galleries for a slideshow of performers and fans.

Finally, kudos to the festival for going "green" this year. There were plenty of "Eco-Stations" scattered throughout the downtown area to handle recyclable materials (including the tens of thousands of programs printed for the weekend event), and all the food service supplies were biodegradable, made from cornstarch or potato products (no styrofoam). All organic materials from the festival are destined for recycling or composting.

The first annual Jazz Improv LIVE! Convention & Festival — the only international convention for jazz lovers — has announced a preliminary schedule of headline events for the organization's debut event, October 25-28 at The New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center in midtown Manhattan.

Jazz Improv LIVE! 2007 will feature over 150 activities, a 12,000 square foot jazz expo area, and scores of performances day and night by leading and emerging artists, and covering the broadest array of jazz genres.

The festival's debut will include performances by McCoy Tyner, Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Heath, Pat Martino, Wallace Roney, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Dave Burrell, and many others.

Legendary jazz historians and authorities Ira Gitler, Dan Morgenstern, George Wein, Ashley Kahn, Michael Cogswell (from the Louis Armstrong Museum) and Loren Schoenberg (Jazz Museum of Harlem) are among the list of experts who will be appearing on panels, workshops and interviews about the music, history, recordings, and personalities. Plus, for those who make music — musicians, students, hobbyists, educators — there will be an entire event track focused on playing, improvising, composing, arranging and the ins and outs of the music business, led by some of the industry's foremost players. A partial list of sponsors and exhibitors include Virgin MegaStores, Jazzmobile, Jazz Museum of Harlem, Buffet Crampon, Yamaha, Vandoren, Manhattan School of Music, New School of Music, Five Towns College, Roberto's Winds, Jody Jazz, and more.

Also slated to perform at this year's convention and festival are Geri Allen, Roy Haynes, the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra with Dave Liebman, Bobby Sanabria, and the Jazz Improv All Star Big Band (plus special guests).

Advance registration for the four-day confab, including a free bonus copy of Jazz Improv Magazine, is available by calling 888.472.0670 or visiting http://www.jazzimprov.com/live. The deadline for early registration is September 20, 2007.