Below are two articles from July,2009 JazzBeat newsletter

Thank you to every one who performed, volunteered, and attended our Mother's Day Big Band Bash! We thought the concert was great and we are pleased to have gotten permission to print this email from one fan that attended the concert:

What a great concert! My husband is a teacher at U.H. and got tickets from a student and we haven't enjoyed such great jazz since we have been here these 8 years! What an outstanding group you have and what a terrific leader you seem to be to get so much heart from these young kids and not just note playing! Yeah, jazz fans know the difference! Congrats to all of you - please add my e-mail address for any events coming up! It was a WOW!
Sincerely, Bobbie Guillory

Thank you Bobbie! We are all looking forward to our summer concert in August!

Read article about TJI from Tucson Citizen by Chuch Graham

Students from the newly formed Tucson Jazz Institute wasted no time in garnering awards and accolades as they dominated the Fullerton College Jazz Festival April 3rd and 4th. Over 375 ensembles from throughout the Western United States competed for honors in the 37th annual jazz festival in Fullerton California. Tucson Jazz Institute musicians received 45 individual awards and 7 ensemble awards. TJI group awards include the following:

3rd Place Middle School Novice Big Band
3rd Place Middle School Intermediate Big Band
1st Place High School Novice Big Band
1st Place High School Intermediate Big Band
1st Place High School Advanced "Heavy" Big Band
1st Place High School Intermediate Combo
1st Place High School Advanced Combo

In the individual solo competition, TJI Musicians took the top eleven spots.

1st Place Max Goldscmid, Alto Sax
2nd Place Alex Weitz, Tenor Sax
3rd Place Cody Rowlands, Trumpet
5th Place Max Goldschmid, Trumpet
6th Place Chris Kennedy, Trombone
7th Place Chad Grossman, Tenor Sax
8th Place Sean Johnson, Alto Sax
9th Place Jeremiah Kuntz, Trumpet
10th Place Sam Haeger, Flute
11th Place Reed Whitman, Tenor Sax

In the history of the Fullerton Jazz Festival, no group has ever received perfect scores from all judges until now. The TJI Blue Note Combo received perfect scores of 100 from all three combo judges. Festival MC Matt Johnson proclaimed that "The Tucson Jazz Institute is setting a new standard in jazz education." Mr. Johnson also invited the TJI Ellington Big Band to be the guest exhibition band for next year's jazz festival.

The following TJI musicians all received awards for outstanding performance recognizing their contributions as soloists with their ensembles:

Jeremiah Kuntz, (Tucson High) Brian Walker, (Tucson High) Max Goldscmid, (Catalina Foothills High) Alex Weitz, (Catalina Foothills High) Chad Grossman, (University High) Katie Tidaback, (Catalina Foothills High) Chris Kennedy, (Catalina Foothills High) Cody Rowlands, (Deer Valley High) Sean Johnson, (Catalina Foothills High) Alon Deveroh, (University High) Tim Rachbach, (Orange Grove Middle School) David Scordato, (Sabino High) Gareth Price, (CDO High) Julian Karahalios, (Catalina Foothills High) Vincent Sanchez-Gomez, (Marana High) Mo Hayden, (Catalina Foothills High) Jonathan Solinsky, (Tanque Verde High) Miriam Tanball, (University High) Valeria Ornelas, (Alice Vail Middle School) Bobby Hastings, (Cross Middle School) Jorge Sanchez, (Valencia Middle School) Darian Eckhart (Alice Vail Middle School), Nick O'Brien, (Cross Middle School) Dominic Muller, (Cross Middle School) Ruben Munguia, (Cross Middle School) Cory Boone (CDO High) and Lourdes Castillo Silva (Alice Vail Middle School), Cody Reifer, (Catalina Foothills High).

                                     
Alex Wietz, Max Goldschmid, Chris Kennedy playing with TJI Blue Note Combo at St Philips Plaza April 27, 2009
photo by Josy B. Young