GO JAZZ BIG BAND

Basie, THE BEATLES, and beyond

spring performances

FRIDAY, MARCH 7 - R.K. DOWNS/DIRK FISCHER JAZZ FESTIVAL @ GOLDEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

This long-running Jazz Festival features all of the Jr. High and High School Jazz Ensembles in the Santa Clarita Valley starting at 5:00 pm. GO Jazz will close out the festival with a performance at 9:00 pm. The festival will be held at Golden Valley High School in the Gym.  Admission is $15, and includes dinner and all performances.

The R.K. Downs Festival was established by noted composer/arranger and longtime COC music educator Stewart “Dirk” Fischer to recognize the immense contribution of Robert K. Downs, a music educator who laid the foundation for the high-caliber music programs in the Hart District and COC.

Starting at Hart High School, when it was the only district high school, Downs grew the music program into a successful, highly regarded, award-winning program, particularly in the area of jazz, where his influence extended beyond the district, and helped high school jazz bands develop a more contemporary style of playing.

Downs went on to establish the music department at COC, eventually serving as Fine Arts Department Chair. Many of his students have gone on to play professionally or semi-professionally, and his work resulted in bringing into the community other high quality music educators, among them Larry Thornton, a long-time band director at Hart High, and composer/arranger Fischer, who took over the jazz program at COC. All three men have had a great impact on generations of student musicians.

Fischer, who led the COC Jazz department for 27 years before semi-retiring in 2005, established the R.K. Downs Jazz Festival in the 1970s as recognition and appreciation of Downs, and to bring together local high school jazz bands to play in an informal, friendly atmosphere as a prelude to the competitive spring season.

After Fischer's passing in 2013, the Hart District band directors decided to add his name and legacy to the Downs Festival.

FRIDAY, APRIL 4 - THE MAIN IN DOWNTOWN NEWHALL, 8pm

We are back for a special performance at The MAIN in Old Town Newhall. If you were at the show last year, you know what a great venue and show this will be.  This is an intimate 81 seat theater, so do not wait to buy tickets for this exclusive concert! Tickets can be purchased by clicking this link.  We will have an exciting group, Wildfire Brass Band, opening the concert.

swing into spring @ the main on youtube

If you missed the sold out show in March 2023, “Swing Into Spring” at The MAIN in Newhall, the entire show is now available online!

Click HERE to watch

“SPectrum” now online and dvds for sale

Check out the Fall 2018 performance, an incredible multi-sensory experience!

https://scvtv.com/2018/12/18/go-jazz-big-band-presents-spectrum/