Light Blue - 2012

By Stephen Henriques

www.stephenhenriques.com

Welcome to the Napa Valley Jazz Society !

Sitting at the top of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Napa Valley claims a rich heritage of jazz music.  Live performances thrive, special venues attract appreciative audiences, and educators pass on their special brand of traditional and contemporary jazz knowledge.  Great food, great wine, and great JAZZ - it doesn't get much better than that. 

The Napa Valley Jazz Society (NVJS)supports the art of jazz in the Napa Valley through events, education and community outreach, in collaboration with arts organizations throughout the Bay Area.

The NVJS endeavors to lead the way, making jazz more widely available up and down the Napa Valley, cultivating audiences, and encouraging participation in this exciting art form. We believe the performing arts are an essential ingredient in the quality of life in our community, and jazz music, with its rich heritage and continued evolution, deserves an important place in the local performing arts scene. As a not-for-profit (501c3), the NVJS exists for the good of the community, and is committed to the highest standards of professionalism, scholarship, collaboration, inclusiveness, and enjoyment.

Your participation is not only welcomed, it is encouraged.  Become a member of the Napa Valley Jazz Society, attend our events, and support JAZZ.

We hope you will join us.  WE'RE HAVIN' A LOT OF FUN!

Sign up for our email list so you can be notified about upcoming Jazz events in Napa Valley.

Click here to Sign up

What is JAZZ?

"By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with."

- Duke Ellington

"Jazz is supposed to make you happy."

  - Harry "Sweets" Edison

"You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail." 

- Charlie Parker

"You begin together, you end together - and whatever happens in the middle - that's JAZZ."

- Elaine Lucia

"If you can't play the blues.....you might as well hang it up."

- Dexter Gordon

 The Ronchin Jazz Band was simply terrific!  NVJS is delighted to be collaborating  with the Opera House in this cultural exchange that has brought this group from France and will be sending our own Jazz@7 to France.  We especially want to thank Penelope Brault of the NVOH Board, who has worked tirelessly to make this all happen.  

NVJS has some great shows coming up:

Sunday, May 20th, 4:00pm @Silo's Jazz Club, Napa 

NVJS Parlor Jazz Presents

"Let's Get Lost"

A Celebration of Jazz Icon Chet Baker

The Erik Jekabson Quintet

Erik Jekabson       trumpet/vocals

Smith Dobson    tenor sax/vocals

Mike Abraham                     guitar

John Wiitala                          bass

Hamir Atwal                        drums

 Click Here for tickets

or Call (707) 224-JAZZ(5299)

Other important Jazz in the Wine Country:  

      Friday, April 4th, 7pm      @Napa Valley Opera House

Napa Valley Educational Jazz Festival

Showcasing jazz ensembles from Napa Valley and nearby schools

Click Here

 Sunday, May 6, 3pm           @GraceEpiscopalChurch,          St. Helena

An Afternoon of Jazz

Featuring

Wesla Whitfield & Mike Greensill

and the

St. Helena HS Jazz Choir

Tickets at St. Helena Roastery and various other locations 

 (See NVJS Parlor Jazz Series, Jazz at the Napa Valley Opera House and North Bay Jazz Calendar for more upcoming events.) 

What We Do

• Present performances of mainstream and local jazz artists in concert halls, outdoor spaces, clubs, restaurants, wineries, homes and other venues throughout the year (see NVJS Parlor Jazz Series and Jazz @ the Napa Valley Opera House) 

• Create free concerts, workshops, panels, residencies, scholarships, master classes, and meet-the-artist events to enhance jazz education in schools and to reach out to families throughout the Valley

• Inform the community of events, programs, up-and-coming artists, and developments throughout the jazz world of potential importance to them

• Provide unique benefits to our members including priority access to NVJS events, special discounts, and advance information

Napa Valley Jazz Society Sponsors

Executive Producers

Maestros

Jazz Artists Presented By

The Napa Valley Jazz Society

Howard Alden, Peck Allmond, Chris Amberger, Peter Barshay, Quentin Baxter, Nicholas Bearde, Will Blades, Michael Bordelon, Graham Bruce, Kenny Burrell, Edgardo Cambón, Maye Cavallaro, Leo Cavanagh, Jeff Chambers, Matt Clark, Kent Cohea, Sue Crossman, Jamie Davis, Jim DeJulio, Dena DeRose, Larry Dunlap, Madeline Eastman, Mary Fettig, Mimi Fox, Kendrick Freeman, Robert Gastelum, Herb Gibson, Beth Goodfellow, Mike Greensill, Jeff Hamilton, Scott Hamilton, Tamir Hendelman, Daniel Jackson, Mary Jenson, Noel Jewkes, Carla Kaufman, Paul Keller, Kristin Korb, Art Lande, Vince Lateano, Christoph Luty, Bob Magnusson, Eddie Marshall, Bill Mays, Charles McPherson, Jr, Bill Moody, Brian Nova, Al Obidinski, Jeff Oster, Howard Paul, Denise Perrier, Misha Piatigorsky, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jim Plank, Kim Prevost, Ed Reed, Pamela Rose, Jackie Ryan, Khalil Shaheed, Lavay Smith, Philip Smith, Bill Solley, Peter Sprague, Alan Steeger, Larry Steen, Inga Swearingen, Akira Tana, Ben Tucker, Alan U'Ren, Larry Vuckovich, Chris Wabich, Wayne Wallace, Kenny Washington, Peter Welker, Randy Weston, Wesla Whitfield, Katrina Wreede, Pete Yellin, Dan Zemelman