Published September 27, 2024

What’s New for Fall

by Chuck Reider

With summer over and fall in the air, the Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) is presenting an October concert, a new recording by our Music Director, and the kickoff to our education programs. And wait… there’s more.

On October 13 at 2 p.m. the RJO presents The Legends of Jazz featuring vocalist Nicolas Bearde at the Theatre on Keystone Avenue, an intimate setting.  The two-hour performance showcases a musical journey that emerged from the cultural melting pot of New Orleans in the early 20th century. Through this adventure, the 17-piece Orchestra and Bearde will present compositions from the extraordinary legends of jazz and finish with a crescendo of contemporary works written by RJO’s music director Dr. Greg Johnson.

Bearde is a singer-songwriter, actor, and educator whose career has spanned over 35 years. His vocal stylings are reminiscent of Lou Rawls and Nat King Cole. Jazz critics say, “Bearde is a master storyteller, and… there is a certain elegance to his singing that makes songs on I Remember You - The Music of Nat King Cole with their updated, hip arrangements, as fresh and evocative as when they were originally performed.” As an actor, you can see him in the movies Final Analysis and True Crimes as well as television series Nash Bridges and Monk.  This is the RJO’s first fall concert with a guest artist. More to come!

RJO music director Greg Johnson took the stage for the first time with us conducting the Camille Thurman concerts. He has just released a new album, The Naked Truth. It is a nonet featuring three brass, three saxes, and three in the rhythm section. Johnson says, “It was invented out of necessity when I couldn’t get a big band’s worth of horns in the same room after Covid. The demand for small bands went up and I had several outlets to write for. The Naked Truth took off when I started getting glimpses of that next level in the writing and working with one idea and fleshing that one idea out to tell a story. You are always trying to balance power and color and for some reason six horns just gives you both.” Pick your favorite streaming service and take a listen.

Fall starts our education programs serving middle and high schools. 

The Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra (RYJO) is set to begin its 19^th season in November, and student registrations for auditions are now open. Auditions will take place from October 21-24 at RJO's new home, Note-Able Music Therapy Services. This season, RYJO aims to return to its pre-pandemic ensemble size, with two youth big bands and a youth combo. In the past few years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of auditionees and we anticipate an increase again this year. 

The Fall Discover Jazz Workshop starts on Saturday, September 28, running from 9-11 a.m. at the Note-Able Music Therapy Services. This 8-week program is designed to help students enhance their ear training, jazz style, improvisation, and theory skills in a small-group setting. Led by instructor Dylan Coleman-Tunstall, along with guest instructors, the workshop will culminate in performances on November 16 and 17.

Now in its fifth semester, RYJO's Lessons Program provides music lessons to students at Title I schools during the school day. Last semester, RYJO instructors provided over 150 hours of free instruction, and this year our goal is to expand to an additional school and increase instructional hours to 180.

The Fall Mentor Program kicked off in September with six schools receiving jazz instruction from talented Reno Jazz Orchestra musicians. Over the course of the semester, each school will receive eight hours of instruction in the areas of jazz style, improvisation, instrument technique and ensemble technique. Schools involved: Billinghurst Middle School, Damonte Ranch High School, Depoali Middle School, McQueen High School Eclectic Orchestra, North Valleys High School, and Swope Middle School.

The 26^th annual Jazz in the Schools event is scheduled for Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the University of Nevada, Reno. This year’s event will feature guest artist Aaron Serfaty, along with clinicians Jessika Smith and Gary Mayne. RJO will host over 400 students for this one-day performance event, where local ensembles will learn from nationally recognized educators.

For the past five years Nichole Heglund has been our Education Director, overseeing the robust growth in the RJO education programs. She began her career in music education in 2003 and has inspired bands and choirs at both middle and high school levels. Heglund has taken on the music director position for RYJO this fall after founders Karen and Vern Scarbrough retired. We thank the Scarbroughs for creating such a great opportunity for middle and high school students to dig deeper into big band jazz performance. Many of these programs are free to students and schools thanks to the support of private donations and grants. RYJO and Discover Jazz have modest student fees but the RJO offers scholarships to these programs.

But wait… there’s more. The RJO is initiating a season series of three concerts we are calling the Quintessence series. A holiday concert, a February concert, and a May concert all featuring guest artists and the RJO. More info in my next blog.

Tickets for Nicolas Bearde and the RJO
https://renojazzorchestra.org/gigs.html

Nicolas Bearde
https://youtu.be/eXgosOKuk8s?si=SScsZJlljXNFaiXM

Greg Johnson’s The Naked Truth with the medium band
https://youtu.be/RKc0NvQqs08

and a little bit of RYJO performing “Orange Colored Skys”
https://youtu.be/qrvCM4ovHPY?si=mKSZwA-NtgLwW6Id

Chuck Reider is the the President of the Reno Jazz Orchestra

Camille Thurman – Breaking the glass ceiling by Chuck Reider — August 23, 2024

Fuego – A Night of Salsa and Latin Jazz by Chuck Reider — July 19, 2024

My Fifty-Year Love Affair with Latin Music by Chuck Reider — June 14, 2024

Reno Jazz Orchestra Welcomes Dr. Greg Johnson by Chuck Reider — May 10, 2024

Reno Jazz Festival – 62 Years of Great Jazz by Chuck Reider — April 5, 2024

The Reno Jazz Orchestra’s Conductor Search Finale by Chuck Reider — March 1, 2024

A Year full of Joy by Chuck Reider — December 22, 2023

Such Sweet Tribute by Chuck Reider — November 10, 2023

Meet the Musicians of the RJO by Chuck Reider — August 25, 2023

Hot House A Night at the Savoy by Chuck Reider — July 21, 2023

Two Great Reno Events by Chuck Reider — May 12, 2023

The Reno Jazz Orchestra – Presents! by Chuck Reider — April 7, 2023

Welcome Tim Young, the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s new Executive Director by Chuck Reider — March 3, 2023

Jazz in the Schools 2023: Fostering a Love of Jazz by Chuck Reider — January 27, 2023

Creative Direction in Jazz by Chuck Reider — October 14, 2022

Meet Reno Jazz Orchestra co-founder Tony Savage  by Chuck Reider — September 16, 2022

What is jazz orchestra? by Chuck Reider — August 19, 2022

Hotter Than July by Chuck Reider — July 25, 2022

Meet John Bennum, the Reno Jazz Orchestra's new Executive Director by Chuck Reider — June 24, 2022

Making Music in the New Millennium by Chuck Reider — April 29, 2022

Beating the Blues: Reno Jazz Festival is Back by Chuck Reider — April 1, 2022