FRIENDS & FANS: Our final concert of the 2025-26 season is on Sat., June 27th @ 7 PM, in Ravenscroft Hall, for the VJC Alumni Band Summer Celebration. Come join us for a very special event.
EDUCATORS: Check out the Flexible Instrumentation Big Band charts from VJC Publications. And listen to this great new music on our YouTube channel. VJC Publications offers flex. charts without compromise, designed to sound great—and complete—with just the minimum instrumentation (11 pieces). And of course, they sound truly spectacular with a full, 18-piece big band. Given the unpredictable nature of band program size from year to year, VJC Publications represents a great investment for any music library. And 100% of every VJC Publication purchase goes back into supporting the educational activities of the Valley Jazz Cooperative.
LAST UPDATED: 05/27/2026
• VJC News/Updates...
1) The General Info for VJC rehearsals is...
• VJC Indigo rehearses on Tuesday evenings at Ravenscroft in Scottsdale, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The VJC Hang (an optional attendance instructional session on various jazz topics) is offered from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Students are welcome to arrive at or after 6:15 p.m., which is around the time the Ravenscroft Facilities Monitor arrives.
• VJC Cerulean rehearses on Thursday evenings at Ravenscroft in Scottsdale, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The VJC Hang (an optional attendance instructional session on various jazz topics) is offered from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Students are welcome to arrive at or after 6:15 p.m., which is around the time the Ravenscroft Facilities Monitor arrives.
• VJC Sapphire rehearses on Saturday mornings at MCC's Performing Arts Center in Mesa, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The VJC Hang (an optional attendance instructional session on various jazz topics) is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Students are welcome to arrive at or after 9:45 a.m., which is around the time the Ravenscroft Facilities Monitor arrives.
2) The proposed Performance Schedules for VJC Ensembles for 2026-27 are shown below. This includes concerts from both the main educational program (for students in grades 8-12) and also for the Alumni Band program. Once participation in the VJC (or VJC Alumni Band) has been confirmed, please block out these performance dates in all personal calendars. And make certain to inform your parents/guardians about responsibilities to the VJC on these dates, as well. If you have a conflict with a VJC event, as with a high school band concert, then let your Director know ASAP so that we can explore getting a sub in place for that particular performance. Finally, please honor your responsibilities to our VJC ensemble(s) by not taking on new obligations in late winter/early spring that conflict with this program’s performance calendar, which has been announced well in advance. Be committed to your peer group, and to the musical success of the VJC.
Concerts will always be preceded by a soundcheck (earlier that same day). Make sure to carve out sufficient time in your schedule in advance of each concert. Specific details for soundchecks are provided closer to each concert date, as we try to “share the load” regarding what group has to soundcheck first (and as a result, has to be there earliest).
Proposed performance dates/times for the VJC in 2026-27:
Sat., 12/19/26 - VJC Alumni Band+ Christmas Concert (Ravenscroft Hall)
Sat., 02/27/27 - VJC Winter Performance (Ravenscroft Hall)
Fri., 03/19/27 - VJC Senior Showcase (w/ Guest Artist TBA; Jazzbird Lounge)
Sun., 04/04/27 - VJC Spring Performance (Ravenscroft Hall)
Sat., 05/01/27 - VJC Spotlight Concert (w/ Guest Artist TBA; Ravenscroft Hall)
Sat., 06/26/27 - VJC Alumni Band (Ravenscroft Hall)
3A) The VJC Alumni Band will perform on the Ravenscroft Hall stage on Saturday evening, June 27th. Rehearsals will be on Tuesday nights, in a 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. window. The first half ensemble (the Chillumni band) will rehearse from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. The second half ensemble (the Thrillumni band) will rehearse from 7:45 to 9:00 p.m. Please note these times are subject to change, based on needs of the ensemble.
The rehearsal schedule for that event is as follows: 5/26, 6/2, 6/9, 6/16, and 6/23. (Five rehearsals in total.) There will also be a special event (optional attendance) on the evening of Thursday, June 25th. Everything takes place up in Scottsdale at Ravenscroft.
Let's conclude the year, and the 10th anniversary season of the VJC, on a real high note, making great music together!
FYI, the Alumni Band line-up is as follows...
Saxophones (listed alphabetically):
Brendan Artita
Allan Brown
Julian Cervantes
Keegan Ewan
Chase Foster
Jayden Garza
Kai Hunter
Andre Montejano
Theo Strich (plus one contribution as a composer)
Elijah Valdivia
Trumpets (listed alphabetically):
Rylan Cumpton
Trinity Gahagen
Adam Martin
Leodan Parra
Sesar Parra (plus one contribution as a vocal soloist)
B.J. Tan
Elias Villa
Jackson Yates
Trombones (listed alphabetically):
Isaac Beynon
Cody Buntin
Isaac Facio
Gerardo Orozco
Mia Robles Robles
Adrian Rosales
#Kennie Sohadi
Rhythm Section (listed alphabetically, by instrument):
Eddie Galicia (guitar)
Aiden Oh (piano)
Luke Pewitt (piano)
Spencer Huttenmeyer (bass)
Sawyer Lego (bass)
Trevin Rockwood (drums)
Tyson Wibe (drums)
3B) Reference recordings for the June 27th concert repertoire are found below (where available):
First Half:
And So It Begins (Dave Rivello) - This will be a premiere performance of a new VJC Publication; no recording yet available.
‘Round Chi-Town (Mike Titlebaum)
Broadway (Wilbur H. Bird, Teddy McRae & Henri Woode; arr. by Henri Woode; rescored by Frank Foster)
Half the Fun (Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington)
Well, You Could Always Ask (Russell Schmidt/arr. by Jueun Seok)
Second Half:
Celebration Jig (Bob Brookmeyer)
No Joy in Mudville (Bill Holman)
Three and Two (Theodore Strich) - This will be a premiere performance of a new work; no recording yet available.
Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller & Mitchell Parish/arr. by Joe Cribari)
Us (Thad Jones)
Sackbut City (Rayburn Wright)
Also, below please find an Audio Player featuring the original studio recording of No Joy in Mudville by the Bill Holman Band.
4) The Ensemble Line-ups will be posted here as they are known (following auditions in November 2026):
VJC Indigo:
____________
VJC Cerulean:
____________
VJC Sapphire:
____________
5) Traditionally, performance attire for the Valley Jazz Cooperative has involved wearing VJC T-shirts for the first couple of concerts, then wearing something a little more formal for the annual Spotlight Concert. For the Spotlight Concert (usually in late April or early May) we tend to wear concert black. If you want to accessorize with blue, please feel free to do so.
The Alumni Band almost always performs in concert black, accessorizing with blue for the June concert and red for the December concert.
6) As a reminder, bassists and drummers always need to let their Director know well in advance if they cannot attend a rehearsal, so that a sub can be identified (if possible). With these ensembles only rehearsing once a week, we very much need a solid bass & drums duo at the foundation for each group's rehearsals. Thanks!
7) Whether it be Ravenscroft or MCC’s Performing Arts Center, please always treat these facilities with respect. It is a privilege to be at these venues and to get to make music together. Also, at Ravenscroft, the team requests that students always leave instrument cases backstage. Also, no food or drink other than water is allowed in performance spaces (Ravenscroft Hall, MCC's PAC Theatre, etc.).