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2021 Next Generation Biographies

Kobie Andrews Pannist Kobie Andrews is from Springdale, Maryland and is a graduate of College Park Academy. He began playing steel drums at age eight and since then, he’s performed at the 2016 International Panorama in Trinidad and Tobago, is a member of the Bethesda and Jazz Orchestra, and the Jose Andre Quartet. He now studies under his longtime mentor Victor Provost and will attend the University of Maryland in the fall of 2021. This is his first time in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Chase Bautista Chase Bautista, a California All-State trombone and instrumentalist from San Jose, California, is a senior at Prospect High School. As a member of the SFJAZZ All-Stars , Chase has participated in the annual Mingus Festival at Jazz at Mannes School of Music (commonly known as The New School) ; performed at the National Endowment for the Arts Awards with ; and recently finished a recording session with Bobby McFerrin. Chase has additionally performed and recorded with the SFJAZZ Monday Night Big Band featuring Adam Thesis; Stanford Jazz Workshop Miles Ahead Big Band; California Youth Symphony; San Jose Youth Symphony Philharmonic; San Jose Youth Symphony Jazz Ensemble; California All-State Jazz Band, with side projects with members of the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band. His passion for jazz led him to create the only youth-based jazz jam and improv night in the Bay Area, providing a place for young jazz players to network and perform. This is his first time in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Kevin Brewster Alto saxophonist Kevin Brewster, 18, is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s a graduate of East Kentwood High School where he was a drum major of the school’s ; a section leader of the wind and jazz ensembles; and was a member of their jazz combo and saxophone quartet. In 2020 and 2021, Kevin was ranked as the top high school jazz alto saxophonist in Michigan and was selected to the Michigan & Orchestra Association All-State Jazz Band. Kevin has additionally won the 2020 Grand Rapids Symphonic Band Concerto Competition and the 2020 Holland Jazz Orchestra Soloist Competition. Kevin will attend Michigan State University this fall as a jazz studies major. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Ellah Brown Ellah Brown, 18, is a guitarist and vocalist from Rutherford, New Jersey, where she attends Rutherford High School. At age six, she started lessons and began classes at Jazz House Kids (JHK) at age 10. With the support of JHK and Jazz for Teens, Ella has appeared at the Apollo Theater, New Jersey Council on the Arts, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Caramoor Jazz Festival in Katonah, New York; New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, and many others. In 2019, Ellah was a panelist at the Jazz Education Network convention in Reno, discussing the JHK-sponsored program “CHiCA Power” that inspires, trains, and empowers young women to find their place in jazz. In 2020, Ellah was awarded a National YoungArts Honorable Mention Award for Jazz Voice and another National YoungArts Merit Award in 2021. This is her first time in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Colman Burks Drummer Colman Burks is a recent graduate of Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas. He started lessons at age five, began drums at age 12, and has studied with Stockton Helbing and Stanton Moore. In 2020 and 2021, Colman was named Outstanding Drummer at the Essentially Ellington Festival at Jazz at in , and was accepted to the 2020 Vail Jazz Workshop. Colman is also a three- time Texas Music Educators Association All-State Jazz Ensemble member. In 2021, Colman was selected to both ’s National Youth Orchestra Jazz and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and, in the fall, he will attend University of North Texas in Denton as a jazz studies major.

2021 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Biographies

Nick Caldwell Saxophonist Nick Caldwell, 16, is a junior at San Diego High School in California. As a student at the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory under trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, Nick is already a first-call musician in the area. In 2019, he performed at Monterey’s Next Generation Jazz Festival, the Essentially Ellington Competition at in New York City, and won a DownBeat Student Award for Outstanding Performance on . Nick also enjoys surfing and plans on attending college in New York City. This is his second year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Cameron Davidson Trumpeter Cameron Davidson, 19, is from Tucson, Arizona, and is a graduate of Tucson High Magnet School. He began playing trumpet and guitar at age six in mariachi bands. As a jazz player, he has been a member of the Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band, and Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association All-State Jazz I. In addition, in 2021, he was selected to Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra Jazz, Monterey’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and the Vail Jazz Workshop. With many musical idols from to Stevie Wonder, Cameron will attend University of Southern California as a jazz major in the fall. This is his first time in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Brandon Goldberg Pianist Brandon Goldberg, 15, is from Miami, Florida, and attends Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale. He began playing piano at age three and has performed at the Apollo Theater, Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, and Mezzrow in New York City; the Litchfield and Newport Jazz festivals, the Bravo Niagara Festival of the Arts, and others. Brandon’s 2019 debut album, Let’s Play! featured Ben Wolfe, Donald Edwards and Marcus Strickland, and earned a 4-star review from DownBeat and reached #7 on the JazzWeek radio charts. His follow-up, In Good Time, will be released in September of 2021 and features Ralph Peterson, Jr., Stacy Dillard, Josh Evans, and Luques Curtis. Brandon has additionally been recognized with multiple DownBeat Student Music Awards: He won the Jazz Soloist and Original Composition categories in 2018, 2019 and 2020; a 2020 award in the Jazz category, and in 2021, Brandon received Outstanding Performance in the Jazz Soloist and Original Composition categories. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Zeb J-A Zebedee Jewell-Alibhai, a.k.a. as Zeb J-A, 15, is a sophomore at Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina. As a young child in Portugal, he began playing classical saxophone at age six, but focused on jazz after he came to the . Zeb also doubles on tenor, and as a member of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, he recently was awarded an Outstanding Soprano Saxophone from the 2020 Essentially Ellington Competition. In 2021, Zeb is a National YoungArts Foundation winner on tenor saxophone and was Gerry and Franca Mulligan Foundation’s “Gerry Jazz Challenge” scholarship winner. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Lóren Littlejohn Trumpeter and flugelhornist Lóren Littlejohn, 17, previously attended School of the Arts (DESA) in Washington D.C. and will graduate from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas in 2022. At the age of 10, Lóren’s paternal grandfather began teaching him coronet and trumpet. From 2018 to 2021, Lóren was the principal trumpeter in DESA’s Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Show Band and Jazz Ensemble. Lóren also performed with the Jazz Academy of Music’s Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble; the Washington Jazz Arts Institute’s All Stars Combo and Jazz Orchestra; the DC Strings Orchestra, and many other local bands, including the Brothers Deep performers collective as a founding member.

Lóren has previously performed at the Silver Spring, Mid-Atlantic, Rehoboth Beach, Lake Arbor, and DC jazz festivals; and was a performing artist in the #SaveOurVenues campaign and the DC Day of Reflection in honor of COVID-19 victims. Recently inducted into the National Honors Society, Lóren was also awarded a 2021 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Biographies

partial scholarship to the Interlochen Summer Jazz Program, a full scholarship to the Berklee Summer Jazz Workshop, designated as a “Young Grand Master” and awarded first place in The Links local and Eastern Region 2021 Young Masters Competition (Instrumental Music category) and first place in the Xi Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the Ivy Foundation’s 2021 Young Arts Contest (High School Instrumental Music category). This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

John Murray Bassist John Murray, 17, lives in San Diego, California where he’s a senior at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. He began playing bass at age eight after being inspired by Paul Chambers, and Christian McBride. By age 15, John was playing professional gigs with Gilbert Castellanos, Christopher Hollyday, Charlie Arbelaez, and many others around San Diego. In 2018, he received an outstanding soloist award at Monterey’s Next Generation Jazz Festival with the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, and in 2019, he received the Outstanding Soloist Award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Andre Perlman Trombonist Andre Perlman, 16, lives in Miami Beach, Florida, where he’s a junior at New World School of the Arts. He is a member of the New World Jazz Band, directed by Jim Gasior, which participated in the 2020 Essentially Ellington Festival and won the Outstanding Trombone Section award. In addition to being a two- time Florida All-State Jazz Band member, Perlman was recently named a 2021 YoungArts finalist in the jazz category. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Santana Rojas Trumpeter Santana Angelo Rojas, 18, is a recent graduate of Pebble Hills High School in El Paso, Texas, where he was a member of their school bands. As a son of an U.S. Army father, Santana has lived in Germany, Kansas, Maryland, Hawaii, and Texas. While in Oahu, he began performing with ensembles at Wheeler Middle School under the direction of Brett Ikehara. Other mentors include Maximo Sierra, Michael Miller, Mike Sailors, and Kenny Capshaw. Santana has been recently selected to the 2021 Texas Music Educators Association’s All-State Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Concert Band. In the fall, Santana will be attending the University of Texas in Austin as a jazz studies major. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Blake Slaughter Guitarist Blake Slaughter, 15, attends the Fine Arts Center of Greenville, South Carolina as a sophomore. He was born into a musical family and is the product of the fertile local jazz and blues scene. Blake has studied guitar since age five with Matt Dingledine and studies jazz performance and theory at the Fine Arts Center with Steve Watson and with Shannon Hoover of the Greenville Jazz Collective. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Brandon Suarez Alto saxophonist Brandon Suarez, 19, is from Miami, Florida and is a senior at Gulliver Preparatory Academy where he plays in their jazz ensemble. Brandon began playing saxophone in the third grade after his dad showed him a video of , and has studied with Mark Small, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Alex Hahn, Vincent Herring, Bruce Williams, and Jaleel Shaw. In 2018, he was awarded a Maestro Solo Award at the WorldStrides National Music Festival. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Skylar Tang Trumpeter Skylar Tang, 15, was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently attends Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, California, and enjoys composing, arranging, and producing. Skylar began classical piano lessons at age four and picked up the trumpet at age nine. After attending a Stanford Jazz Workshop camp at age 11, she found her home in jazz. Since then, she has played in various ensembles, including both the California All-State Junior High and High School Jazz Bands, and has been a recipient of 2021 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Biographies

California’s Jazz at the Ballroom Scholarship. Additionally, she has been a member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars since 2019. In 2021, Skylar was selected to attend the Vail Jazz Workshop and became a member of MJF’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Jack Towse Trumpeter Jack Towse, 18, is from Huntington, New York and is a senior top honors student at Friends Academy on Long Island. Jack has played music since he was five years old and began studying jazz with the New York Jazz Academy at age eight. By age 12, he earned a position at School of Music Precollege Division as a double major in classical and jazz trumpet, where he studies with Jonathan Heim, Nadje Noordhuis and Jeremy Manasia.

In 2017, Jack was invited to join the Jazz at Lincoln Center High School Jazz Academy where he currently plays under the direction of Ted Nash and Tatum Greenblatt. His many accolades include the 2018 Juilliard Summer Jazz Academy, studying with Marcus Printup; touring Asia in 2019 with and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra Jazz; the 2020 Vail Jazz Workshop, and winning the 2021 National YoungArts Award for Jazz Trumpet. In addition, he is a two-year member of the New York All-State Jazz Band, a seven- year member of his All-County Jazz Band, and a four-year International Trumpet Guild and National Trumpet Competition finalist, where he was runner-up in the classical category. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Bruno Tzinas Trombonist Bruno Tzinas, 17, is a senior at New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida, where he plays in their jazz band, directed by Jim Gasior. Bruno began playing trombone at age 10 with the Jazz Encounters Community Coalition Ensemble under Nicole Yarling. With New World in 2020, Bruno was a Essentially Ellington Finalist at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, where they won the Outstanding Trombone Section award. He is also a 2020-21 Florida All-State Jazz Band member; has performed at the Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival in Miami; and was a 2021 National YoungArts Foundation Merit Award winner. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Noa Zebley Baritone saxophonist Noa Zebley, 17, is a junior from Northgate High School and Horizons Center for Independent Study in Walnut Creek, California. She began playing at age 10 and made the California All-State Junior High Jazz Band within three years. In addition to doubling on bass and flute, she plays baritone in Bay Area jazz groups including the California Jazz Conservatory’s Studio Band, the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra Jazz program in New York City. In 2019, she began playing professionally and recording with the Kyle Athayde Dance Party. This is her first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Andrew Zhang Trombonist Andrew Zhang, 17, is from Sammamish, Washington where he attends Lakeside School. A multi- instrumentalist, Andrew began playing piano at age six, euphonium at age nine, and trombone at age 11. His many musical experiences and performances in the Pacific Northwest include playing in the Seattle JazzED Ellington Ensemble, Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Lakeside Jazz Band. Andrew’s mentors include Bill Anthony, Eric Patterson, Michael Tran, Rebecca Markov, Bruce Staelens, and Joyce Tang. This is his first year in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.