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All that Vallejo Jazz That’s the key to understanding jazz: recognizing the musician’s “We’ve had wonderful vocalists, and some really, really gifted

ability to make up a tune as he or she plays while still keeping instrumentalists, and some big bands too,” Williams said.
the notes within a specific chord structure. In other words, “There are some world-class musicians just in the Bay Area.
jazz is both formulaic and free-spirited, all at once.
Now, if we had a real angel who could sponsor us or give us
a huge donation, we could probably bring in some world-
“When we go to schools, we’ll start by playing a song they renowned artists, but I’ve been in contact with some of them,
all recognize, and we usually play something like ‘Twinkle, and they require a bunch of dollars.”
Twinkle, Little Star,’” Williams said. “And then we’ll begin
to move away from that … I use a drawing of Mickey Mouse The concerts are held at the Empress Theatre in downtown
as a visual aid, and I’ll tell the students that what we’re doing Vallejo, easily the best local venue for such performances.
is like keeping the outline of Mickey Mouse but changing Williams said the society is quite pleased with their new home.
what’s inside.”
“Oh my God, the acoustics in there are fantastic. Before we
Williams said he can remember when local band programs started having our concerts there, they had a jazz concert before
were the envy of schools around the area, and it breaks his a Friday night movie, so I set up a mini-disk recorder and
heart to see them dissipate over the years. Not only that but recorded the thing,” Williams said. “And wow, it was almost
also exposure to music is an integral part of education. studio quality!”

“When a person is performing, there have been neurological The Vallejo Jazz Society is based at 35 Buena Vista Avenue in
studies that show that the whole brain just lights up, as opposed Vallejo. For additional information, including membership, how
to when you’re doing a math problem or a literary exercise, to volunteer, and information about shows past, present, and
which require only certain parts of the brain,” Williams said. future visit www.vallejojazzsociety.net or call (707) 533-4593.
“We love getting out to the schools and showing kids what You can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
an incredible art form it is … In fact, I sent a letter recently to VallejoJazzSociety. For tickets to upcoming concerts, visit the
most elementary schools in the area, informing them of our Empress Theatre’s website at www.empresstheatre.org or show
program: What is Jazz. I hope we get some response.”
up at the Empress’ box office (330 Virginia Street in Vallejo)
Va l l e jo Ja z z S o c i e t y The Vallejo Jazz Society is a registered non-profit, driven seeing Williams perform, drop by the Sardine Can Restaurant
an hour or less before any show. Also, if you’re interested in
pl a y s o n mostly by grants and donations. They still, however, manage in Vallejo or Sticky Rice Bistro in Fairfield.
to bring in top-notch acts from around California—mostly the
Bay Area—eight times a year. This year, there are three left:
Soul Sauce and Curt Moore on Sept. 15th, Charged Particles Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied
(featuring Todd Dickow playing the music of Michael Becker) journalism in college, and has written for a
Nate Gartrell on Oct. 20th, and lastly, Jennifer Lee and the Ever-Expanding handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires
to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums
Universe on Dec. 1st. and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
It is a common lament that when school budgets are cut, where jazz ever came from; it happened because of two cultures
music and arts are always the first to go. When that was coming together in America—the European culture and the
happening in Vallejo back in 2010, a group of concerned African culture. It’s so terribly important to understand where
citizens got together and pledged to do whatever they could it all started.”
to keep our children engaged in the arts. They decided to
focus on perhaps the most lively, improvisational genre of Williams is a one-of-a-kind musical educator whose life story
music out there, one that could only have been created in fits perfectly with the jazz society’s mission statement. He is a
America. And with that, the Vallejo Jazz Society was born. retired band teacher (with 35 years of experience) who, at 86,
remains more active than many folks half his age. In addition
The Vallejo Jazz Society’s primary focus is educating youth in to his work with the society, he continues to play bass for a
Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon about the beauty and local jazz group, and on top of that, he literally wrote the
history of jazz, but they serve another more prominent function curriculum that the society brings to schools all over the area
as well: bringing some of the best jazz acts from the Bay Area to give students a firsthand look at what jazz is all about.
and around the world to Vallejo, specifically to the Empress
Theatre, where they’ve consistently held eight concerts each year. “This is America’s music. It is our only truly indigenous music,”
Williams said. “The element of improvisation is probably the
“There are incredible things happening musically that need to most significant thing that stands out … Improvisation happens
be passed along,” said Dalt Williams, the Vice Chairman and throughout each piece, whenever a soloist does a solo. At the
Coordinator of the Jazz Society, who also runs its Facebook same time, you have to follow the chord structures in place.”
page. “The kids in school now, they don’t have a clue at all as to