College program hosts jam session at UCLA Music Library, Feb. 16

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble will host a performance and jam session at the UCLA Music Library on Friday, February 16. The group will kick things off at noon with a 45-minute set of original music written by the students, followed by an open jam session. Instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome. The event is offered free and open to the public, space permitting.

Building on their intensive training as performers and improvisers, students in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance are encouraged to develop their personal musical voice through composition. Regular performances, both on and off the UCLA campus, give the students an opportunity to workshop new compositions and to perform with area students and professionals, as well as the occasional jazz master (saxophonist and Institute Artist-in-Residence Jerry Bergonzi has appeared multiple times).

The UCLA Music Library has hosted regular jam sessions with the Institute’s students since the program took up residency at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in 2012. The library provides access to one of the largest academic music collections in North America and the largest in Southern California, and serves as a venue for music related events such as the Music Library Mid-Day Recital series. The series is designed as a stress-free space for students to try out new material and connect with the local musical community.

For more details on Friday’s event, and to confirm your attendance, check out the Facebook event.