Today…
Our society supports the Hanks High School Jazz Festival. This festival reaches school age artists from the El Paso area and as far as Central Texas. Renowned professional artists have come to El Paso every year for over 16 years to pick the top 15 to 20 best young artists over a three day period. The El Paso Friends of Jazz sends the winners to a one week jazz camp, taking them to a musical level they have never been before. They receive a class in public speaking and are exposed to recording and personal one on one instruction.
In addition, the El Paso Friends of Jazz sponsors the Youth Jazz Ensemble. This group is made up of high school musicians from all over the El Paso area and they stay together all year long. The Youth Jazz Ensemble is directed by Marty Olivas and Ricky Malichi. Marty Olivas is an administrator with the Ysleta School District and Ricky Malichi is an independent artist that has performed with the finest jazz artists in the world.
Our society meets once per month in a different restaurant to dine and enjoy the art of jazz featuring a different group each month. For these monthly events we will usually contract local professionals.
Our youth is El Paso’s future. Not all young artists make music a career however, the lessons they learn in the process such as hard work and preparation just to name a couple, will serve them a lifetime.
Help the Friends Of Jazz Society make El Paso a better place to live.
If you are interested in joining, call Skip Jankel at 575,589.1200.