ArtsWestchester JazzFest 2023
A select group of students, along with several professional musicians opened up for the ArtsWestchester JazzFest on September 10th, 2023. It was a great afternoon of jazz capped off by performances by the Detroit-raised recording artist, bassist and composer Endea Owen and the Mount Vernon native and contemporary jazz saxophonist Mike Phillips.
Summer Performances at the Ridge Hill Mall 2023
The Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music continued playing in the Saturday Ridge Hill Mall Series in Yonkers in 2023 with performances in May, June, August, and September. A combination of professionals and our students, the series exemplifies a key aspect of our school, providing students opportunities to learn from and interact with professional musicians in various settings, including live performances.
Open Jazz Intensive 2023
The Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music hosted its first Open Jazz Intensive on March 11th, 2023. The workshop was conducted by our director saxophonist Joey Berkley along with special guests, the well-known veteran musicians Joel Rosenblatt (drums) and Brian Pareschi (trumpet). Participants got a chance to explore rhythm and brass techniques, along with improvisational fundaments within a relaxed, ensemble setting.
Summer Performances at the Ridge Hill Mall 2022
The Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music is playing Saturday’s 5-7 at Ridge Hill Mall in Yonkers through the month of July (with the exception of the Fourth of July Weekend). A combination of professionals and our students, it’s an opportunity for students to hone their skills while learning from the Pros. It’s great to be back. Very grateful for our director Joey Berkley for putting this together.
Registration for the Back to School Bootcamp for Summer 2022 is now open
Come tune up your skills! Focus on ensemble playing, improvisation, and improving rhythm and reading skills.
Week 1: Aug. 23, 24, 25 from 1-4PM
Week 2: Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1 from 1-4PM
Register Now for More Information
Center Teaching Vid Thursday Class The Chicken
Video # 2: Working with our Thursday class
In case you missed my previous comments –
We’re back! And I am very grateful to be working with our students at the Westchester Center for Jazz. All the new technology we’ve installed to make us Covid friendly also allows us to record and playback during rehearsal and also allows us to share what we do.
And always enjoyable to watch our director Joey Berkley in action.
Joey as usual says it better than me:
For me, the journey of Jazz is about learning and expressing. I think we can all agree we now face historic uncertain times as musicians collectively. While we race to find the “new normal”, as performing musicians we do not want to give up on the “only normal” and what it takes to get there. In our own way, the Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music is back at it live, expecting their students to know their scale/arpeggio exercises; rhythm-changes; time is Number 1; intonation matters, forever!!! I say, let’s learn and teach for the one normal that matters most: Miles, Monk, Trane, Bird, Brecker, Ellington, SRV, James Brown, Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong and on and on…..and In Our Own Sweet Way, the Westchester Center For Jazz is back at it live.
Sunday Ensemble Improv Lesson
It’s great to be back working with our students at the Westchester Center for Jazz. All the new technology we’ve installed to make us Covid friendly also allows us to record and playback during rehearsal and also allows us to share what we do.
And always enjoyable to watch our director Joey Berkley in action.
Joey as usual says it better than me:
For me, the journey of Jazz is about learning and expressing. I think we can all agree we now face historic uncertain times as musicians collectively. While we race to find the “new normal”, as performing musicians we do not want to give up on the “only normal” and what it takes to get there. In our own way, the Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music is back at it live, expecting their students to know their scale/arpeggio exercises; rhythm-changes; time is Number 1; intonation matters, forever!!! I say, let’s learn and teach for the one normal that matters most: Miles, Monk, Trane, Bird, Brecker, Ellington, SRV, James Brown, Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong and on and on…..and In Our Own Sweet Way, the Westchester Center For Jazz is back at it live.
Please check out the improvisation section of our Sunday class below
WCJCM COVID Modifications
Check out this video that outlines all of our latest updates and provisions in order to ensure a safe environment for the return of our students. With guidance form the CDC and our team’s collective efforts, we have made state of the art upgrades and accommodations so that we can all come together, social distance, play our tunes, and remain as safe as possible.
2nd Friday Jazz Series 2019
This Year Was A Hit..THANK YOU!
A big thank you to all of our supporters that came to all of the amazing 2nd Friday Jazz Concerts this year. Without you we wouldn't have a need to fill our stage has with such impeccable talent!
To all of our featured artists this year, thank YOU!
Christine Tambakis: 03/08/19
Marshall McDonald: 04/12/19
Jay Azzolina: 05/10/19
Brian Pareschi: 06/14/19
Elisa Mini: 09/13/19
Porter Carroll Jr.: 10/11/19
Gary Deinstadt: 11/08/19
And the biggest THANK YOU to the Joey Berkley Band for backing our wonderful artists each and every time! To our Director Joey Berkley, we wouldn't be the same without you. Your talent and expertise makes our school and students have an experience they can't find anywhere else!
Stay tuned for what's to come in 2020!
2nd Friday Jazz Concert Series: Fall 2019 ft. Gary Deinstadt
Friday, November 8th @8pm
2nd Friday Jazz Concert Series 2019 has been a hit so far! A big thank you to all the featured artists thusfar! Every month, the Joey Berkley Band rocks the house collaborating with our featured artists and we are beyond thankful for them! This month, we get to welcome one of our own, Gary Deinstadt as our featured artist!! You definitely don't want to miss this! Joey Berkley Chris Parker Nori Naraoka and Andy Abel featuring the incomparable Gary Deinstadt are gonna blow your minds!
Tickets on sale NOW--> CLICK HERE
Use promo code "LiveJazz" with the purchase of 2 tickets and save $5 on each!
Gary Deinstadt 11/08/19