The Oakland Jazz Choir
Friday 21 April 2017 at 8:00pm The Berkeley Hillside Club is pleased to present the the Oakland Jazz Choir celebrating their 25 years of outstanding performances with a program of jazz originals and standards in unique choral arrangements. Don't miss these remarkable artists performing in our historic and acoustically-excellent hall. About the Oakland Jazz Choir: The Oakland Jazz Choir, (OJC) a non-profit, has been an East Bay institution for 25 years. During this span the group has taken many shapes, sizes and forms but the common denominator has always been the same: Joy of expression, using the voice to communicate the triumphs, as well as the turbulence, of the human spirit. We are committed to bringing vocal jazz to underserved audiences in the Bay Area and beyond. Choir membership includes 16 singers, as diverse in age, religion, and race as our hometown. Artistic director Ben Flint, a native of Memphis TN, is steeped in gospel, jazz and R&B, but applies his diverse musical experience to finding a uniquely Oakland sound. This multicultural, multi-talented group of people volunteer their time, energy and skill to produce some of the sweetest harmonies around. OJC delivers exquisite 5 and 6 harmonies performing original and contemporary arrangements that include pieces by hit makers such as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Pat Metheny, as well as Bobby McFerrin, Michael Jackson, Thelonius Monk, Tower of Power & Tears for Fears. Over the past 25 years, OJC has performed with such notables as: singers Madeline Eastman. Marlena Shaw, Faye Carol, and most recently, Kenny Washington and The Bobs, and collaborated with rhythm dancer Keith Terry and percussionist, composer John Santos. They’ve gigged at such venues as: Yoshi’s and Piedmont Piano in Oakland, both the San Francisco and San Jose Jazz Festivals, the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, the Valhalla Boathouse Theatre at Lake Tahoe, the Grass Valley Center for the Arts, Piedmont Piano, First Fridays Oakland, and auditioned and won a coveted spot to perform in the prestigious International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). OJC is supported entirely by individual donations and small grants.