The Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band

The award-winning Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band is the premier musical organization of Mission Bay High School in San Diego. The band is featured at venues throughout San Diego County and southern California. The organization represents the city of San Diego at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, in Sacramento, California each Memorial Day Weekend. The band features highly experienced high school jazz musicians creating jazz solos on every instrument. This exciting, versatile group performs traditional jazz (Dixieland music), swing, and many forms of modern jazz. They are sponsored by America's Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society and are one of the featured youth bands at their annual Thanksgiving Jazz Festival.

Among the achievements of the Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band are repeated invitations to America's Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society Thanksgiving Festival and the prestigious Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. This group was the only youth band featured during the most recent Thanksgiving Festival. The band is the only youth band to have been invited back to the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee each year for the past eleven years. In the past eight years the band has achieved perfect scores for their extraordinary performances in Sacramento.

Two exceptional high school musicians, J.P. Balmat and Adam King lead the band. J.P. plays alto saxophone and clarinet. Adam King is the featured trumpet instrumentalist. A brother and sister team is featured within the band. Bill Vail performs on trombone and his sister Liz is featured electric bass player. The versatile Courtney Senoret plays trombone, is a flapper girl dancer, and is the featured vocalist. Kristin Johnson, the other flapper girl, is also a fine percussionist. Ryan Mason, the primary guitarist, doubles on trumpet and banjo. Jennifer Cwikla, the featured pianist, is noted for her local recitals of classical music. Kevin Greene, the invaluable tenor sax player, studies with a former Stan Kenton Band saxophone legend. Thomas Blackledge is featured on soprano sax and baritone sax. The drummer, Tony Diaz, has been playing for six years and studies with a local professional percussionist. Joshua Sugar, the clarinetist, has been performing with the local youth symphony for four years.

Everett Crouse, a former Navy musician and bandleader, currently directs the Dixie Jazz Band. The concept of the Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band was the inspiration of professional trumpet instrumentalist and music educator, Ray Vinole. Mr. Vinole's infectious love of traditional jazz rubbed off on all of his students. Over the years, the reputation of the band spread far and wide from Honolulu to Mexico City and beyond. Wherever the band plays, their lively Dixieland music brings smiles and joy to all who hear these find high school music students.

An invitation has been extended to the Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band to visit the PTP Chester, England Chapter for a performance and student ambassador musical exchange in the spring. Ruthie Heinz Carpenter and the San Diego Chapter is busy making plans with Betty and Len Holland of our Chester Chapter.

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