The Berkeley Jazz Workshops are ensembles that provide experience playing in a small-group setting. Groups are at various levels, beginning to advanced, and players on all instruments are welcome. The material ranges from standards to bebop, brazilian, afro-cuban, and modern jazz pieces. These ensembles provide a place to get experience, to meet other stir-crazy musicians, to play with a good rhythm section, and to make all the mistakes you want.
Get in touch! It's free to stop in and check things out.
The fee charged (185. per month) for ensemble members covers rent on the space, musical materials, equipment and some low-key but useful coaching. A typical ensemble is six or seven pieces (piano, guitar, drums, bass, and two or three soloists). Openings come up for all the chairs at one time or another: It's always worth checking in.
We meet at a space in N. Berkeley where there's a piano, a drum set, a P.A., music stands, and tolerant neighbors. We've been in action for more than thirty years. A lot of really excellent players have cycled through the Berkeley Jazz Workshops: we've provided a great platform for learning and building community.
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Clark Suprynowicz, who directs the workshops, is a jazz bassist who studied with Dave Holland in NYC. He's played and recorded with Tom Waits, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, and a wide variety of artists and performers.