BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) invites the community to celebrate the culmination of its fall semester at the Student Showcase on Saturday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m.
Over the course of the afternoon, nine ensembles will share the results of three months of study, rehearsal, and collaboration. Listeners can expect a mix of jazz standards, Latin jazz, samba percussion, vocal harmonies, improvisational forays and tunes from the Blue Note era.
This performance tradition highlights the depth of talent within the VJC’s education program, bringing together musicians of all ages and backgrounds.
The Saturday afternoon performance will kick off at 12:30 p.m. with the Fearless Improv group. Led by horn player John Clark, this ensemble encourages musicians of all backgrounds to explore creative expression through composing, analyzing, and improvising in a welcoming, community setting.
At 1 p.m., the VJC Sextet, the VJC’s flagship outreach group, will perform swinging arrangements they use to liven up area schools, community centers, and senior living facilities.
Sambaganza, the VJC’s samba ensemble, will perform their percussion arrangements of Brazilian rhythms at 1:30 p.m.
Two Youth Jazz Ensembles will perform repertoires of classic jazz tunes at 2 p.m. These groups of students hail from Brattleboro Union High School, Leland & Gray, and Marlboro schools. They will be presenting a repertoire of jazz classics and arrangements that fuse Latin rhythms, swing and bebop. All participants will improvise.
At 3 p.m., the Soubrettes, a choir led by Anna Patton will present a fresh take on American swing-era songs, combining close-harmony vocals with poignant and humorous lyrics.
The Latin Jazz Ensemble follows at 3:30 p.m. This large group combines to perform infectious grooves from Latin America and the Caribbean. The instrumentation includes a frontline of violin, saxophones, flute and two trumpets with a powerhouse, five-piece rhythm section.
Closing out the afternoon, starting at 4 p.m., drummer Claire Arenius will direct two groups performing the soulful, hard-driving jazz sound made famous by Blue Note Records.
The event is free; a suggested $5 donation supports the VJC Scholarship Fund, which awards more than $17,000 annually to help make jazz education accessible to all.
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