CJC Students Dan Neville, Jamie Zimmer, Le Perez
Top Bay Area’s Annual Jazz Talent Search

April 26, 2017; Berkeley, California; The California Jazz Conservatory (CJC), marking its twentieth anniversary as a leader in jazz education, today celebrates three of their students who placed in the top four positions in Living Jazz’s Jazz Search West 2017, the Bay Area’s annual jazz talent search for instrumentalists and vocalists, ages 15 and up.

Two California Jazz Conservatory degree program students placed first and second in the competition, with vibraphonist Dan Neville, a third-year student at CJC, winning the five-week playoff series. Vocalist Jamie Zimmer, a first-year student at CJC, was awarded second place. Fourth place was won by vocalist Le Perez, a student of the Jazzschool, CJC’s community music education program.

Neville, a full time student at the Conservatory, is a multi-instrumentalist and arranger-composer, a six-year member of SFJAZZ Center’s Monday Night Big Band. Zimmer, who also attends CJC as a full-time student, coaches young singers in the Bay Area’s Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble. Le Perez, who trained at the Conservatory’s Jazzschool, is a veteran of the Oakland Interfaith Community Choir.

About Living Jazz

Since 1984, Living Jazz has designed and launched unique music education and performance programs that instill confidence, responsibility and ambition in children; motivate people of all ages and backgrounds to reach their personal and creative potential; and unite diverse communities through their shared love of jazz and related genres. Current programs include Jazz Camp West,  Jam Camp West, “In the Name of Love”, the Annual Musical Tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Living Jazz Children’s Project, and Jazz Search West.

About California Jazz Conservatory

Established in 1997 as the Jazzschool, the California Jazz Conservatory is now an accredited, independent college offering a 4-year Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies degree (since 2009) and an Associate of Arts degree in Jazz Studies (introduced in 2017), as well as continuing to offer its Jazzschool classes, workshops, summer jazz camps and intensives––a 20-year tradition of music education in the Berkeley arts community. With the advent of its third decade this year, the Conservatory is taking significant steps in expanding its programs and growing its facilities, plans and partnerships.

The California Jazz Conservatory is located at 2087 Addison Street, Berkeley, California, 94704. The website is cjc.edu. Telephone number is 510-845-5373.

Living Jazz is located at1728 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612. The website is livingjazz.org. Telephone number is 510-858-5313.