California Jazz Conservatory

All Girls Jazz Camp is a really special program which all students and teachers are female. The teachers are wonderful. I highly recommend any girls interested in Jazz to attend the summer camp. Camps were broken down in one week format last year. Each day students attend a variety of classes (singing, composing, jamming, etc) so the camp was really fun. On the last day of camp, the students would perform at a very nice theater - Freight and Salvage theater right across the street. Parking is a bit difficult and expensive. The parking structure on Addison Street right by Freight & Salvage name "Center Street Parking Garage" is the most convenient.

The California Jazz Conservancy has opened a new performance venue, Rendon Hall, in the Jerry Fiddler Annex across the street. There have been a series of concerts this week to celebrate. This afternoon Alan and I attended a concert by the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. I had purchased tickets online, which was a good thing because the concert was sold out. Tickets were $25 apiece, w/ a service charge of less than $1.50, a nice contrast to the exorbitant service charges applied elsewhere. Exterior signage could be better and probably eventually it will be. Even the address was easily missed. It's a small, intimate performance space, maybe a little larger than Hardymon Hall, the downstairs performance space across the street, which will continue to be used for concerts too. I always loved sitting in that space, listening to music and watching people passing by on the sidewalk above through the high windows. In Rendon Hall there are square tables and sturdy, comfortable wood chairs w/ padded seats. A snack bar in the lobby sells food and drinks. The bathrooms are down a very long hall and are new and very clean. Clear signage to the bathrooms would also be appreciated. The sound in the performance hall is excellent, as you would expect. I think I read somewhere that the sound is by Meyer Sound, but I'm not completely sure of that. As I sat there listening to the music I was reflecting on the wealth of music venues we have in downtown Berkeley, from Freight & Salvage to The Back Room to Zellerbach Hall to Rendon Hall to Hardymon Hall, all w/in a few block radius, not to mention Berkeley Rep and the Aurora Theatre across the street. We are extremely fortunate.

I'm walking down the street, en route to 24 Hour Fitness, when I hear what sounds like live music coming from a building. As I approach the sound, I walk down a flight of stairs and there, performing a small concert, is a jazz combo: piano, bass, sax, two percussionist, and no more than 15 people listening. World-class jazz. 15 people. How much, I ask the person at the door? $15. 2.5 hours of national and internationally known jazz musicians for $15. FRONT ROW. Are you serious?? I sat there and listened to Mark Levine's Kenny Garrett Project (led by Mark Levine -- I think he's a director there at the school). Watching these musicians make me think: music is the gateway to the soul (I'm getting way too poetic...). Places like this encapsulate the essence of Berkeley and the Bay Area: to embrace the creativity of the soul, no matter what. Pure dharma.....I felt so thankful and blessed to be able to sit here and listen to these musicians play for two hours. If I lived up here in NorCal, I'd be here at least once a week. Keep jammin Jazzschool........

I have attended it for a few quarters and I've taken several classes with different teachers. I have previously attended other music schools too. For a start, it's a pretentious institution, not as innovative as they claim; it's expensive and not very well managed. There is not a study plan. You can enroll in the classes you want as long as you can afford them. There are many classes to choose from, but not all of them are worth. There are many teachers, changing continuously; they say the wages are low; some of them are well known local musicians but not all of them are good educators. Some are good teachers and will give you a lot of material to study, but others are not. They may be rude with the students, or have substitutes for 30% of their classes, or even have not a curriculum for the class at all. There is also a bookstore with overcharged prices and a cafeteria not very cheap either. There is no library. The best is the live sound during concerts.

Wow! Yet another place we "discovered" because there was no "room at the inn"at our intended destination. In this case it was Freight and Salvage to hear Kitka.As we were walking back to BART we saw a sign that said the magic words "Free Music." We've been meaning to go to hear music at Jazzschool for awhile.I am so glad we came. There were a couple of different sets of musicians and singers. The singers were comprised of women who were currently "students"of Jazzschool's singing classes. I put quotes around the word students because these women were not beginners or amateurs---they were all fabulous!The energy and enthusiasm of these singers was contagious. It was so easy to get caught up in this.The accompanying musicians were top-notch too!We'll definitely go back!

I have taken 3 courses there. The quality of the instruction is quite variable and includes both the best and the worst courses I have ever had. There is no quality control over the performance of their instructors.Jazz Piano I: (Bob Karty) Good, solid course.Jazz Piano II: (Debbie Poryes) The worse course I have ever had anywhere. The woman seems to be oriented towards teaching young kids. She certainly doesn't know how to communicate with adults. Poorly organized, sloppy material. I simply stopped attending halfway through the course.Arranging: (Frank Martin) The best course I have ever had. Frank has an outstanding professional background and is able to bring that experience to his teaching. Conversant with arranging in just about any music style. Provided a wealth of material on arranging techniques. I learned everything about arranging in this course that I should have learned when I took an arranging course earlier at Berklee Online (at 3 times the cost).

I agree... this is an excellent place to take music lessons. Good basics and theory available, along with advanced classes. Unfortunately it is also one of the most expensive... and not all the instructors are as good as the others... so you sort of have to be "in the know" to know which ones to avoid. I wish they would weed out some of the less helpful instructors - there are only a few - because there are so many other excellent teachers out there....

I'M NOT WORTHY:With a teaching staff that includes numerous great sidemen of countless great artists, and many soloists in their own right, who am I to praise or criticize?AND YET IT'S LAID BACK:I first went to Danny Caron's Blues and Swing guitar class, and felt comfortable enough to dive right in--in spite of technique that was rusty-at-best and embarrassingly-unskilled-at-worst. He is enthusiastic, supportive, appropriately impatient and most importantly, a good communicator.You can see him play all around the Bay Area. He's a remarkable musician and pretty funny guy.GO FOR THE MUSIC, STAY FOR THE PANINI:So when class is over, you can sit in the large performance space and enjoy a pretty darn good cappuccino and/or lunchy thing, and continue to practice, or listen as others practice. Often, a few of us from class would get together and try the drills or just play. What a great scene.OR JUST GO FOR THE MUSIC:They have a full calendar of concerts. Want to get a taste of the local music scene? Here it is.BUT WAIT:They have a full-service sheet music store and a repair shop that's run by the Obi-Wan Kenobi of luthiers. Trust the force ...THERE'S MORE:Step outside, and find yourself in a great little corner of Berkeley. Theater, shops, restaurants. Sweet.

This place is nothing short of a miracle! Classes for every level- even if you don't know how to read music! Blues, jazz, reggae... and it has the best little cafe with incredible food! Concerts every weekend and in a great, hip spot!

Poor customer service. I tried to stop a class I was taking at night. The service I received was lacking . I was hung up on by a silly person who thought that laughing at me was okay. This person felt that I was being rude to them. Being direct is often heard as being rude. I asked direct questions. What is wrong with getting a direct response. If you don't understand the question then say. In conclusion the class I enrolled in was miss advertised as a vocal class. I did less than minimum singing.