Skip to page content
  • LAPA
  • RENOWNED BASSIST CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE LEADS MASTER CLASS AT SANTEE HIGH SCHOOL
  • Nov. 8, 2006
  • Hamilton High School, Eagle Rock High School, and

    Santee High School Jazz Bands Perform

    WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2006, AT 6 PM

    Los Angeles Unified School District students receive the music lesson of a lifetime when in-demand bassist and Grammy-award winner Christian McBride leads a master class with an ensemble cast of all-star musicians, including drummer Peter Erskine, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and pianist John Beasley. Santee High School hosts the event at its new state-of-the-art campus on Wednesday, November 8, 2006 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

    Playing alongside these acclaimed jazz heavy weights are three high school jazz combos from Hamilton High School, Eagle Rock High School, and Santee High School, chosen for their accomplishments in music and dedication to music education. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association chose Santee High School to host the event because of its new campus, diverse population, and commitment to promoting education in a quality, safe zone for students from economically-challenged neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.

    The master class focuses on the concept of stylistic interpretation. Three high school jazz combos perform the same jazz standard, but in three different styles. Christian McBride coaches the students through each variation, addressing performance skills, instrumental technique, and artistic interpretation. Peter Erskine, Bob Sheppard, and John Beasley also play an active role in coaching the high school ensembles in performance and improvisation. Throughout this educational process and performance, students and spectators alike benefit from world-class instruction in an encouraging and collaborative environment. Master class audience members include music students from across the Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles Country.

    This is McBride's first master class as Los Angeles Philharmonic's Carolyn and William Powers Creative Chair for Jazz, enhancing his career-long commitment to exposing jazz to young people, and continuing the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's educational mission of increasing access to and deepening understanding of music for both children and adults. During his two-year tenure as Creative Chair for Jazz, which began with the Hollywood Bowl's 2006 summer season, McBride oversees jazz programming at both the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, which kicked-off its 2006/2007 winter season on September 28, 2006.

    The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's education and community initiatives include a wide range of programs designed to reach audiences beyond the traditional concert-going public, such as young people and people separated from the musical community by distance, economic issues, cultural differences and educational background. Master classes give music students and educators the exceptional opportunity to attend a master class with world-renowned LA Phil musicians and guest artists. Serving approximately 400 young musicians per year, master classes are open to young musicians and present helpful instruction on a variety of topics designed to cultivate enthusiasm for music in all its varied forms.

    Grammy Award-winner CHRISTIAN McBRIDE is THE bassist-in-demand. Over the course of three albums as a leader and over a hundred as a sideman, Christian McBride has arguably become the most acclaimed acoustic and electric bassist to emerge from the jazz world in the 1990's. His passion for musical diversity has led him to work with everyone from Chick Corea to Pat Metheny, from Kathleen Battle to D'Angelo, from Diane Krall to Bruce Hornsby, from Quincy Jones to Sting. Given that the bass is the heart and soul of any music, this makes McBride's versatility all the more impressive. McBride has a recording coming out on Ropeadope that resists pigeonholes. His first release for the label, Live at Tonic, captures his capacious quartet joined by an array of guest artists, including eight-string guitar ace Charlie Hunter, Logic, pianist Jason Moran, violinist Jenny Scheinman, beat boxer Scratch, and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno. McBride holds Artistic Director posts at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass summer program. In January 2005, he was named co-director of The Jazz Museum in Harlem. While working for the museum in Harlem, McBride has been racking up frequent flyer miles as the second Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. He works with the organization year-round, building on the Philharmonic's presence in the musical community as a leading presenter of jazz.

    Keyboard virtuoso and composer JOHN BEASLEY exquisite and intelligent playing acknowledges the past while relentlessly exploring the present and future of not only jazz, but blues, classical, and world music as well. Jazz icons Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard and pop composers/performers Walter Becker & Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, film composer Thomas Newman, and record producers, Ron Fair, to name only a few, were quick to enlist Beasley's talents in their respective aggregations. Beasley balances writing new music, including his recent releases, "One Live Night", a live recording at the Baked Potato with Gary Novak, Dave Carpenter, Ralph Moore, and Carlos Del Puerto; and "Nuances" - 15 piano solos, producing, arranging, and composing for other major artists, doing studio film/TV and commercial projects, including American Idol, and working in Japan as A&R for EWE Records producing albums for Japanese mega-jazz vocalist, Chie Ayado, and other Japanese and American artists.

    PETER ERSKINE has played the drums since the age of 4 and is known for working in many different musical contexts. He appears on over 500 albums and film scores, and has won a Grammy Award as well as an Honorary Doctorate. He has played with (among others) Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Weather Report, Steely Dan, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, Sadao Watanabe, Kenny Wheeler, The Yellowjackets, The Brecker Brothers, Pat Metheny & Gary Burton, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, et al, and has appeared as a soloist with the London, Los Angeles, Scottish Chamber, BBC Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras. As an educator, Peter has authored several method videos and books, the latest being "The Erskine Method" book + DVD, plus "Time Awareness for All Musicians," both available from Alfred Publishing. Mr. Erskine lives in Santa Monica and teaches at USC.

    BOB SHEPPARD is one of the most highly respected and well-known improvising artists on the music scene today. Complementing his success as an international jazz artist, he is also in high demand for session work in many music studios, having recorded more than 100 television and movie soundtracks. In addition to being an accomplished saxophonist, he is an impressive multi-instrumentalist playing flutes, clarinet, and bass clarinet. Bob's solo recording debut Tell Tale Signs (Windham Hill Jazz), was produced by Steely Dan's Walter Becker and includes his compositions that reflect a uniquely personal style. His influences are widely varied in style and range from Joe Henderson to John Coltrane and Paul Desmond to Cannonball Adderly. Currently a member of The Peter Erskine Trio, he has also toured with Chick Corea's "Origin" for two years and is featured on Chick Corea's Grammy nominated CD, Change. Over the past 20 years he has performed and maintained many of his associations and on-going collaborations with the following artists: Freddie Hubbard, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Horace Silver, Lyle Mays, Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band, Billy Childs, and Nat Adderley. His versatile musicianship has extended to CDs with Steely Dan, Rickie Lee Jones, Manhattan Transfer, Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, and Randy Newman including jazz CDs with artists Scott Henderson, Michael Franks, Andy Laverne, John Beasley, Otmoro Ruiz, Terry Trotter, vocalist Kurt Elling, Marilyn Scott, and Diane Reeves.

    The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music - Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association's involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 8, at 6 - 8 PM

    Santee High School, 1921 S. Maple Ave., Los Angeles, CA

    Christian McBride Master Class

    Christian McBride bass

    Peter Erskine drums

    John Beasley piano

    Bob Sheppard saxophone

    Students from Hamilton, Eagle Rock, and Santee High Schools

    # # #

  • Contact:

    Adam Crane, 213.972.3408; Lisa Bellamore, 213.972.3689; Photos: 213.972.3034