UCSB Jazz Ensemble and Combos "Welcome Back" Social Event and Jam Session
Wednesday January 14, 5:00-7:00 PM - Room 1145
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday January 14, 2026
- Time: 5:00-7:00 PM
- Venue: Room 1145, Music Building, UC Santa Barbara
- Admission: Free
"Listening to Jazz" - Miles and Coltrane at 100
Wednesday, January 21, 6:00-9:15 PM, SOhO Restaurant and Music Club
6:00 - 7:15 PM - Hosted at the iconic SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, beloved UCSB Professor Jon Nathan adapts his popular Listening to Jazz course for an evening dedicated to the smooth stylings of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Enjoy live jazz interwoven with discussion on the allure and influence of these American icons. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The Matt Perko Sextet provides musical demonstrations, with Matt Perko (drums), Megan Etzel (piano), Will Luton (guitar), Liam Ronarch (bass), Sriram Ramamurthy (trombone), and Erik Beahrs (tenor saxophone). Local professional musician and college professor James Mooy (SBCC Music Department) joins as guest trumpet artist.
7:45 - 9:15 PM - Stay for a free performance by the UCSB Jazz Ensemble, performing music from our Fall quarter concert celebrating the music of Bill Holman and Jim McNeely, and special performances of Miles Davis classic recorded works Milestones (as arranged by John Clayton) and Eddie Harris's Freedom Jazz Dance (as recorded on the 1967 album "Miles Smiles"),
Related Event:
Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane — Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial, Jan 27
Music 16, "Listening to Jazz" class visit by Terence Blanchard, trumpet - January 27, 9:30 AM
9:30 AM, Room 1145, Music Building, Free Admission • Sponsored by UCSB Arts and Lectures
POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER DELAYS
Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. A true “Renaissance” man, Blanchard stands tall as one of jazz’s most-esteemed trumpeters and defies expectations by creating a spectrum of artistic pursuits. Boundary-breaking and genre-defying, Blanchard is recognized globally as a dazzling soloist and a prolific composer for film, television, opera, Broadway, orchestras and for his own ensembles. In fact, leading theater magazine TheaterMania recently cited Blanchard as “the most exciting American composer working in opera today.”
An eight-time Grammy Winner and twice Oscar-nominated film composer, Blanchard became only the second African-American composer to be nominated twice in the original score category at the 2022 Academy Awards, duplicating Quincy Jones’ feat from 1967’s In Cold Blood and 1985’s The Color Purple. Blanchard’s work has placed him at the forefront of giving voice to human rights, civil rights, and racial injustice, including the 2016 album “Breathless,’’ an elegy for Eric Garner, who was killed by police and whose words, “I can’t breathe,” became a civil rights rallying cry.
Related Event:
Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane — Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial, Jan 27
Masterclass with Ravi Coltrane - January 27, 4:00 PM
4:00 PM, Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, Music Building, Free Admission • Sponsored by UCSB Arts and Lectures
POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER DELAYS
Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed Grammy™ nominated saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. In the course of a twenty plus year career, Mr. Coltrane has worked as a sideman to many, recorded noteworthy albums for himself and others and founded a prominent independent record label, RKM.
Born in Long Island, the second son of John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. He was raised in Los Angeles where his family moved after his father’s death in 1967. His mother, Alice Coltrane, was a significant influence on Ravi and it was he who encouraged Alice to return to performance and the recording studio after a long absence. Subsequently, Ravi produced and played on Alice Coltrane’s powerful, 'Translinear Light', which was released in 2004.
Ravi has released six albums as a leader. His latest, 'Spirit Fiction', was released in June of 2012 for the Blue Note label. Additional credits include performances as well as recordings with Elvin Jones, Terence Blanchard, Kenny Baron, Steve Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Matt Garrison, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Geri Allen, Joanne Brackeem, The Blue Note 7, among others. He is a co-leader of the Saxophone Summit with Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman.
Ravi lives in Brooklyn, NY and maintains a fast paced touring, recording, composing and performance schedule. He leads the effort to restore the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, Long Island (thecoltranehome.org) and presides over important reissues of his parent’s recordings.
Related Event:
Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane — Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial, Jan 27
2nd Bienniel Vocal Jazz Solo Competition - Final Round, Thursday January 29, 4:00 PM
Congratulations to everyone who participated, and to the audience who came to support their friends and to vote! The vocalists chosen below will perform with the UCSB Jazz Ensemble at our February 25th concert "Let's Dance", and on April 12 at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club for the Santa Barbara Jazz Society.
Finalists and winners:
I Won't Dance:
- Finalists: Marissa Abaya • Halee Scott • Crystal Amezquita • Julianne Varona • Chloe Kumar • Brooke Aron
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Winner: Marissa Abaya
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First Runner - Up/Alternate: Julianne Varona
Let's Face the Music and Dance:
- Finalists: Naomi Carl • Julianne Varona • Chloe Kumar • Ayve Algazi • Brooke Aron
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Winner: Brooke Aron
-
First Runner - Up/Alternate: Julianne Varona
10 Cents a Dance:
- Finalists: Naomi Carl • Halee Scott • Julianne Varona • Kyla Becker • Maile Quinn
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Winner: Julianne Varona
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First Runner - Up/Alternate: Kyla Becker
Jazz Combo Coaching Session with Members of the Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Saturday January 31, 3:00 - 4:30 PM - Sponsored by the UCSB Jazz Ensemble
Saxophonist Tom Luer and pianist Andy Langham join forces in coaching two of our eight Jazz combos in this special event. The Yong Combo and Jazz Lab A are the participating combos.
Tom Luer is a Los Angeles based saxophonist, a member of Poncho Sanchez’s Latin Jazz Band, and is a D’Addario Woodwinds Performing Artist. His album "Project Popular" was released in 2011 to critical acclaim. Recent recording credits include Poncho Sanchez “Live at the Belly Up Tavern”, the Grammy winning album “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra”, John Beasley’s Grammy nominated albums “MONK’estra:Volume 1, 2, and 3” Dave Slonaker’s Grammy nominated “Intrada” and Grammy winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling's "The Brill Building Project". Tom has also recorded with Lee Ritenour, the Alan Chan Orchestra, Laura Dickenson, the Mike Barone Big Band, Wayne Bergeron Big Band, Cooper Phillips, the Bicoastal Collective, Oliver Future and more. Music from Tom’s CD was featured in nationally broadcast promos by National Public Radio. Tom can also be heard on the soundtrack of the films “Daddy’s Home”, “Let Them All Talk”, and “One Night in Miami” and has performed music for television shows such as HBO’s “The Penguin” and Apple TV’s “Peanuts”. Tom’s television appearances include the NBC’s “The Voice”, the NBC broadcast of “Sports Illustrated 50 Years of Beautiful” and the “X-Factor” on Fox, the American Music Awards, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the Ellen Degeneres Show. Additional performance credits and tours include John Beasley’s “Monk’estra”, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Chucho Valdez, Poncho Sanchez, Queen Latifah, Loston Harris, Tom Wopat, Patrizio Buanne, Engelbert Humperdinck and many more.
Tom is currently a faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona where his Director of the Jazz Band and the Applied Saxophone Professor. He has formerly served on the faculty of the Los Angeles College of Music, Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas, and Bethel College-Newton, KS. Tom also served as the Jazz Program Director and teaching instructor for the Shell Lake Arts Center in Shell Lake, WI.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday January 31
- Time: 3:00 PM
- Rooms 1220 and 1222, UCSB Music Department
Related Event: Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Jazz Combo Coaching Session with Members of the Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Saturday January 31, 3:00 - 4:30 PM - Sponsored by the UCSB Jazz Ensemble
Saxophonist Tom Luer and pianist Andy Langham join forces in coaching two of our eight Jazz combos in this special event. The Yong Combo and Jazz Lab A are the participating combos.
Andy Langham studied music at The University of North Texas and Texas State University. Currently Andy can be seen touring all over the world as a member of the Grammy Award winning Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band. He also has toured with Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Natalie Cole, Christopher Cross, John Heard, Christian McBride, Jane Monheit, New York Voices, Ray Price, Dewey Redman, Steve Tyrell, and Ernie Watts. Andy has recorded or performed in concert with an extremely diverse group of artists that include John Abercrombie, Mike Barone, Gary Bartz, Scotty Barnhart, Terence Blanchard, Arthur Blythe, Debby Boone, Randy Brecker, Johnny Bush, Bobby Caldwell, Clayton Cameron, James Carter, Charo, Alvin Chea, Pete Christlieb, The Coasters, Ravi Coltrane, Larry Coryell, Micky Dolenz, Jon Fedchock, Med Flory, The Four Freshmen, Laura Fygi, Roberta Gambarini, Terry Gibbs, Gerry Gibbs, Tom Harrell, Jon Hendricks, Bill Holman, Steve Huffsteter, Flaco Jimenez, Lainey Kazan, Sally Kellerman, Kristin Korb, Azar Lawrence, Hubert Laws, Dave Liebman, Don Menza, Roy McCurdy, James Moody, Emilio Navaira, Willie Nelson, Wayne Newton, Andreas Oberg, Alan Paul, The Platters, Kim Richmond, Sam Rivers, Carl Saunders, Christian Scott, Jack Sheldon, Bobby Shew, Lew Soloff, Mike Stern, Take Six, Clark Terry, Steve Turre, Jerry Vivino, and Bill Watrous. Andy has appeared on over 150 recordings, including 5 Grammy-nominated albums. He currently teaches Jazz Piano at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach and at Cal Poly Pomona.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday January 31
- Time: 3:00 PM
- Rooms 1220 and 1222, UCSB Music Department
Related Event: Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Community Jazz Jam, SOHO Restaurant and Music Club, featuring the Matt Perko Sextet
Wednesday February 4, 7:00 PM - Sponsored by the UCSB Jazz Ensemble
Join a new jazz monthly community jam session featuring different bands in the first week of every month. Come hear the house band perform a few tunes while you sign up, enjoy food and drinks at Santa Barbara's premiere music spot, and then join the band for a tune or two.
Wednesday February 4, THE MATT PERKO SEXTET, sponsored by the UCSB Jazz Ensemble.
Monday March 2, THE DEREK DOUGET QUINTET, sponsored by the Lobero Theater Brubek Circle
Wednesday April 8, TBA
Wednesday May 6, TBA
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday February 4 (first week of every month)
- Time: 7:00 PM (music starts), sign up to jam between 6:30 and 7:30, Jam starts at 7:20
- Venue: SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State Street, Suite #205, Santa Barbara CA 93101
- Admission: Free • Donations for the band welcome!
UCSB Jazz Combos Perform at the St. Michael's University Church, Isla Vista
February 17 and 18, 7:30 PM
Our combos perform over the course of two nights at a welcoming venue in Isla Vista to end our busy Winter Quarter. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed!
Tuesday February 17:
Combo 1: Gunturi Combo
Combo 2: Spagnolo Combo
Wednesday, February 18:
Combo 1: Yong Combo
Combo 2: Kaulback Combo
(see combo members here)
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, February 17 and 18
- Time: 7:30 PM
- Venue: St. Michael's University Church, 6586 Picasso Road, Isla Vista, CA 93117
- Admission: Free • Donations welcomed!
Noon Concert, "Nathan Combo"
12:00 PM, February 25, 2026, Music Bowl, Music Building UCSB
The UCSB Jazz Ensemble/Combos presents a jazz performance as part of the UCSB MultiCultural Center's NOON CONCERT SERIES. Led by UCSB jazz director and drummer Jon Nathan, this event also features guitarist Jake Runestrand, saxophonist Wes Gardner, pianist Jordan Lim, and bassist Jake Horvitz. Education Abroad Program student (Edinburgh) and UCSB Chamber Choir (Brent Wilson, director) member Isabella Mackie joins as vocalist. Join us for a warmup NOON performance for that evening's quarterly Jazz Ensemble concert, "Let's Dance", featuring winners of our 2nd ever Vocal Jazz Competition.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday February 25, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM
Venue: The Music Bowl, Music Building, UC Santa Barbara
"Let's Dance" - The UCSB Jazz Ensemble featuring winners of the 2nd Bienniel Vocal Jazz Solo Competition
7:30 PM, Tuesday February 25 2026, Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, UC Santa Barbara
The UCSB Jazz Ensemble presents music for different sized jazz ensembles inspired by dance, including Bob Mintzer’s Latin Dance, Maria Schneider’s Choro Dancado, and Wynton Marsalis’s That Dance We Do (from The Democracy! Suite) as well as many others. This concert will feature the vocalists Julianne Varona, Brooke Aron, and Marissa Abaya performing music originally written for Ella Fitzgerald and Anita O’Day, as well as other vocal performances by Maile Quinn, Kyla Becker, and Naomi Carl.
Watch from home at the UCSB Music Department YouTube Channel
I Won't Dance
- Finalists: Marissa Abaya • Halee Scott • Crystal Amezquita • Julianne Varona • Chloe Kumar • Brooke Aron
-
Winner: Marissa Abaya
-
First Runner - Up/Alternate: Julianne Varona
Let's Face the Music and Dance
- Finalists: Naomi Carl • Julianne Varona • Chloe Kumar • Ayve Algazi • Brooke Aron
-
Winner: Brooke Aron
-
First Runner - Up/Alternate: Julianne Varona
10 Cents a Dance
- Finalists: Naomi Carl • Halee Scott • Julianne Varona • Kyla Becker • Maile Quinn
-
Winner: Julianne Varona
-
First Runner - Up/Alternate: Kyla Becker
Dancing on the Ceiling
- Finalists: Naomi Carl • Maile Quinn
-
Co-Winners: Naomi Carl and Maile Quinn
Choro Dancado
-
Winner: Kyla Becker
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday February 25
- Time: 7:30 PM
- Venue: Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, Music Building, UC Santa Barbara
- Admission: Free for UCSB Students with ID, price varies for others
Community Jazz Jam, SOHO Restaurant and Music Club, featuring the Derek Douget Quintet
Monday March 2, 7:00 PM - Sponsored by the Lobero Theater Brubeck Circle
Join a new jazz monthly community jam session featuring different bands in the first week of every month. Come hear the house band perform a few tunes while you sign up, enjoy food and drinks at Santa Barbara's premiere music, and then join the band for a tune or two.
Monday March 2, THE DEREK DOUGET QUINTET, sponsored by the Lobero Theater Brubek Circle
Wednesday April 8, TBA
Wednesday May 6, TBA
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday February 4 (first week of every month)
- Time: 7:00 PM (music starts), sign up to jam between 6:30 and 7:30, Jam starts at 7:20
- Venue: SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State Street, Suite #205, Santa Barbara CA 93101
- Admission: Free • Donations for the band welcome!
Masterclass with the Derek Douget Quintet - Tuesday March 3, 2026
4:00 PM, Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, Music Building, Free Admission • Sponsored by the Lobero Theater Brubeck Circle
Derek Douget, a former member of the Ellis Marsalis Quartet and the current Director of the Heritage School of Music, finely mixes his Louisiana upbringing with his strong individualism and idiosyncratic voice. Playing the tenor and soprano saxophones, Douget has performed with many notable musicians on the New Orleans scene, including the inaugural Louis Armstrong Quintet–a performing group of graduate students dedicated to teaching jazz in New Orleans area schools. Derek Douget has performed or worked with a variable who’s who in the world of jazz, including Nicolas Payton, Ellis Marsalis, Dr. John, Terence Blanchard, Allen Toussaint, Branford Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Randy Brecker, Wyclef Jean, Jason Marsalis, Kermit Ruffins, Stefon Harris and many other excellent musicians. The quintet also includes Ashlin Parker (trumpet), Victor Atkins III (piano), Jason Stewart (bass), and Adonis Rose (drums).
Music 16, "Listening to Jazz" class visit by the Derek Douget Quintet - Thursday March 5, 2026
9:30 AM, Room 1145, Music Building, Free Admission • Sponsored by the Lobero Theater Brubeck Circle
The Derek Douget Quintet, annual visitors to Santa Barbara for over a decade, join the UCSB Jazz Ensemble for a morning session with Dr. Jon Nathan's "Listening to Jazz" class (Music 16). The quintet includes Derek Douget (tenor saxophone, leader), Ashlin Parker (trumpet, pictured), Victor Atkins III (piano), Jason Stewart (bass), and Adonis Rose (drums).
Masterclass with the members of the Chucho Valdez and Arturo Sandoval Legacy Quintet (TBA) - Friday March 6, 2026
4:00 PM, Geiringer Hall, Music Building, Free Admission • Sponsored by UCSB Arts and Lectures
“Chucho Valdés is one of the great treasures of the music world… Valdés grounds his work in the aural history of mother Cuba, while seamlessly weaving in aspects of folk, jazz and classical to create a singular musical vision.” DownBeat
“Both an ambassador for and an innovator of jazz, Sandoval has played a central role in expanding the music he loves most from an American vernacular into a global language.” The Washington Post
Chucho Valdés and Arturo Sandoval, icons of Afro-Cuban jazz and founding members of the legendary ensemble Irakere, reunite for an electrifying new collaboration. The Legacy Quintet celebrates their rich musical heritage with fresh compositions and inspired arrangements. Valdés, a multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner, remains a driving force in Latin jazz, while Sandoval, honored in 2024 by The Kennedy Center, brings his unmatched trumpet virtuosity to the stage. An unforgettable evening with two of the music world’s most celebrated masters.
Related Event:
Chucho Valdes and Arturo Sandoval — Legacy Quintet, March 7
