WEST MILFORD — The West Milford High School Jazz Ensemble competed in its first ever trip to the prestigious Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston, Massachusetts on Feb. 11 and came away a winner.
The West Milford High School Jazz Ensemble won first place for the Large Ensemble, Class L2 Division. The WMHS Jazz Ensemble was one of two ensembles from 13 states to be selected to perform at the NAfME (National Association for Music Education) All-Eastern Convention this year in Atlantic City on April 6.
According to West Milford High School Jazz Ensemble Director Matt Gramata, the Berklee Jazz Festival is “arguably the largest jazz festival in the country” with more than 200 performing groups from the United States and around the world performing at the festival this year.
Featured ensembleThe WMHS Jazz Ensemble is listed as a “featured ensemble” on the Berklee Jazz Festival website (http://festival.berkleejazz.org).
The jazz program at the West Milford School District was established by Gramata in 2010 and has flourished over the past seven years. Recent highlights of the West Milford Jazz Ensemble include six New Jersey State Finals appearances in seven years of existence; including 2nd place finishes at the NJAJE State Jazz Finals in 2015 and 2016. In association with the One More Once Big Band, the jazz ensemble has been a regular at Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, performing with guest artists such as Bruce Williams, Joel Frahm, and Ron Cuber.
Gold Rating at state prelimsThe WMHS Jazz Ensemble next went on to compete in the NJAJE (New Jersey Association for Jazz Education) State Jazz Preliminary Competition at Liberty Middle School in West Orange, on March 6. The group earned a Gold Rating, and also won the categories for Best Overall Saxophone Section and Outstanding Soloist, awarded to senior Alex Kerssen.
“The West Milford Jazz Ensemble has qualified for NJ State Jazz Finals. We were one of six ensembles out of roughly 50 bands to receive a gold rating,” Gramata proudly announced.
The New Jersey State Jazz Finals Competition will be held on April 22 at Overbrook High School in Pine Hill.