Young Jazz Musicians Get to Record Riffs

Learning new riffs, melodies and techniques, four students from Van Nuys High School have worked for more than two months with professional jazz musicians and are ready to cut an album Saturday.

The students, recipients of the Bill Green Mentorship Award given by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, have been taking lessons from the pros since March.

Ninth-grader Cassie Nichols plays piano. Tenth-grader Kurt Gray plays alto sax. And 11th-graders Daniel Pracher and Ben Snyder play the trumpet and trombone, respectively.

They have learned many new jams, along with what it takes to be a professional.

“I’ve learned a lot of technique and a lot of theory,” Gray said. “I learned the basics plus how to take an idea and go with it.”

The four Van Nuys’ students have each taken 10 free lessons. Combined with two larger workshops and the recording session, the program would cost more than $1,000 each without the sponsorship of the society.

“You can tell within three hours how some of these kids blossom,” said Mary Lou Callender, president of the jazz society. “The relationships between the students and the mentors shouldn’t end. We want to give them someone to respect and ask questions to in the future.”

Along with songs from the professional musicians, the students will be recording three traditional jazz tracks for the album: “Take the A Train,” by Duke Ellington; “Blue Bossa,” by Kenny Dorham, and “Now is the Time,” a Charlie Parker tune.

Robert Eisenhart, instrumental music teacher at Van Nuys, said the program has given students insight into the essence of jazz.

“The professionals are trying to get them to listen to what jazz is really about,” he said.