Spring Calendar - Concert Band
May:
  Sunday, 5/4, 3:00-4:00P.M., River Hill High School, Clarksville, MD
  Sunday, 5/18, 6:00-6:45P.M., Village Green, Montgomery Village, MD

Spring Calendar - Jazz Band
Sorry, no public performances are currently scheduled.

The Columbia Jazz Band has a lot going for it.

Not only is Columbia, Maryland situated between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. - two great cities for jazz - but the band knows longevity, as it has been performing since their first 1989 gig at the Columbia Lakefront. Like most other community music ensembles, the members come from an eclectic variety of occupational backgrounds. The CJB is also a larger-than-average jazz band, thus allowing all parts to be played even when some musicians are absent.

The Columbia Jazz Band was founded as an outgrowth of the Columbia Concert Band, thanks to previous director Robert Miller, a music educator and jazz drummer. Starting with approximately 20 players, the group was soon off and running. Now more than 30 seasoned members play in the jazz band, which has been led by Pete BarenBregge since 2002. Mr. BarenBregge is an international musician and recording artist, an in-demand jazz clinician and adjudicator, and a former director of the United States Air Force premiere jazz ensemble, the Airmen of Note.

The professional diversity of the players creates quite a collection of non-musical knowledge. The band brings together an ozone specialist, a medical doctor, a social worker, a lawyer, a retired minister, a CPA, and plenty of educators, scientists, and Ph.D.s. The common denominators, however, are a knowledge and love of jazz music, and a willingness to bring high- quality swing band performances to any audience.

The Columbia Jazz Band usually plays private events like weddings, dances, and parties, plus a few annual public concerts, and in 2002 produced a superb CD entitled "Live and Swinging," with a second CD due out in 2008. Additionally, they have accepted an invitation to perform at the renowned Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival in July of 2008, after which they will embark on a tour to the cities of Opatija, Croatia and Bled, Slovenia, and then to the American Embassy in Vienna, Austria.

To learn more about the Columbia Jazz Band, hear some audio files, and see some pictures, please visit their web site (link below).

Sincere thanks go to those who contributed to this article: Rip Rice, Robert Miller, Pete BarenBregge, and Mike Blackman.

With this fantastic ensemble getting better every season, we are turning to some very sophisticated music as we prepare to perform for the public on May 4th. Of particular note is Frank Ticheli's "Sanctuary," a ten-minute work filled with some of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard from wind instruments. Ticheli's writing and orchestration are absolutely exquisite. I seem to have developed a reputation for programming lots of new compositions, so I always try to include a "classic," and this time it's Norman Dello Joio's "Satiric Dances," an aggressive three-movement work that will contrast nicely with "Sanctuary," to say the least! Other works on the program will include my favorite Sousa march, "The Black Horse Troop," a transcription of some wonderful Renaissance music, a little bit of Debussy(!), and a medley from the Broadway show "Wicked." I hope that you can join us at River Hill High School on May 4th at 3:00 PM. Of course, the performance is free.

After the Spring concert, we will be traveling to Montgomery County to participate in the 2008 Maryland Community Band Day along with seven other ensembles from around the state. Then, it's on to our Summer repertoire that we'll be preparing for performances at the Columbia Lakefront and the beautiful Lurman Woodland Amphitheatre in Catonsville. At these outdoor concerts you'll be treated to music from movies, musicals, the 1950's, and Leroy Anderson (in celebration of his 100th birthday). We will also include some patriotic selections as well as some original wind band compositions. As always, we hope that there is a little something for everyone!

Please continue your support of free music in the community. It truly means the world to us. Thank you!

Musically,

Mike Blackman,
Director

Quarterly Quote: "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Berthold Auerbach

Appointees and Volunteers
CCB-CJB Liason - Jodi Shochet
Librarian - Marilyn Kelsey
Curator - Fred Shermer
Uniforms - Bill DeVuono
CCB Webmaster - Suzanne Hassell
CJB Director - Pete Barenbregge
CJB Webmaster - Matt Williams