Students from across Westchester will join professional musicians to present the Pro-Am Ensemble on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in downtown Peekskill. The musicians have been attending workshops over the last few weeks through a program designed to promote jazz culture, education and performance in schools, colleges and communities, said Director and European jazz musician Ray Blue.
This annual event will take place on N. Division Street between Main and Park streets and is sponsored by Arts Westchester and The New York State Council of The Arts, City of Peekskill, Peekskill Department of Parks and Recreation, Peekskill B.I.D., African American Men of Westchester, Park Street A.M.E. Zion Church, Hudson Valley Health Care Center, Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Peekskill Youth Bureau, ITI Strategies, Division Street Grill, Bean Runner Cafe, Fern Tree and individual donors. If it rains the concert will be indoors at the Division Street Grill.
The Pro-Am Ensemble is a Cross-Cultural Connection program that has been in operation since 2002. Two of this year’s participants are Peekskill High School graduates and one is a current PHS student. Other students are from Lakeland, Ossining, Scarsdale and Kennedy.
The Pro-Am Ensemble has been presented in the U.S.A.(New York, New Jersey, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska), South Africa,(Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontain), Zambia,(Lusaka), Tanzania,(Dar El Salam, Zanzibar), Gabon,(Liberville, Migoma), China,(Beijing), Finland,(Helsinki, Pori) and Germany,(Munich, Berlin, Biedenkopf).
The participants this year are:
Ray Blue, Director/Clinician/Saxophones
Vince Corozine, Saxophone/Arranger
Sharp Radway, Piano/Clinican
Tony Jefferson, Drums/Clinician
Cameron Brown, Bass/Clinician
Wayne Cobham, Trumpet/Clinician
Mike Goetz, Bass/Clinician
Alan Goidel, Trombone
Students and Musicians:
Danny Rivera, Trumpet – a PHS graduate
Satish Robinson, Trumpet
Sean McQuade, Trumpet
John Winter, Saxophone
Steven Salcedo, Saxphone
Alex Crean, Saxophone
Emanual Henry, Drums – a PHS student
J.R. George, Drums - a PHS graduate
Marcus Franklin, Tap Dance
