Mile High Jazz Band performs
Cool Jazz in January at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Get ready for an exhilarating experience as the Mile High Jazz Band presents "Cool Jazz in January," on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at Comma Coffee from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, is across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City.

General admission is $5 at the door, and free for age 18 and under.

The Mile High Jazz Band plays at Comma Coffee on the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, call 775-883-4154, or visit MileHighJazz.com.

Mile High-Carson High Jazz Extravaganza
at the Carson City Community Center
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014

It's "big-band jazz times two" when the Carson High Jazz Band and the Mile High Jazz Band present their eleventh annual combined concert, the Mile High-Carson High Jazz Extravaganza, on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, 7:00 p.m., in the Bob Boldrick Theater at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street, Carson City. The Extravaganza is sponsored by the Mile High Jazz Band Association and the Carson City Band Association as a benefit for Carson High music programs.

Tickets prices are $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors (62+), and $5 for youth age 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Carson High Band members, at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, online at MileHighJazz.com, or at the door. For information, call the Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154.

The Extravaganza will feature two big bands, vocalist Sheryl Adams, combo performances, and the traditional grand finale combining the forces of both big bands. This year, the concert will include a special appearance by the Carson Middle School Jazz Band under the direction of Nick Jacques. Refreshments and raffle prizes will be on sale in the lobby. "We're pleased to perform with the high school jazz band again," said David Bugli, Mile High Jazz Band leader and pianist. "The student music ensembles are great and they deserve community support."

The Carson High Jazz Band attends and competes at jazz festivals each year and has performed at community events throughout Carson City. Directed by Bill Zabelsky, the band is a zero-hour class at Carson High School designed to teach students about jazz - the music that began in America and has spread throughout the world.

The Mile High Jazz Band, a professional big-band, plays regularly in northern Nevada, including monthly performances and quarterly Jazz and Poetry events at Comma Coffee. They sponsor the annual Jazz & Beyond: Carson City Music Festival in August. Mile High Jazz Band appearances are funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Mile High Jazz Band performs "Jazz Sampler for Sweethearts" at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Treat your Valentine to a Jazz Sampler for Sweethearts, an evening of sweet and hot big-band music with singers Sheryl Adams, June Joplin (shown at right), and Cindee LaVal at Comma Coffee on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, is across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City. General admission is $5 at the door; free for age 18 and under.

Jazz Sampler for Sweethearts features the 19-member Mile High Jazz Band presenting jazzy versions of favorite love songs for Valentine's Day, and other swinging, big-band selections. Highlights of the evening include "All of Me," "My Funny Valentine," and "That's My Style." The performance is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For information about live music at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662 or see CommaCoffee.com. For information about the Mile High Jazz Band, call 775-883-4154 or see milehighjazz.com.

Millennium Bugs Play for Sunset Mardi Gras Celebration
Saturday, March 8, 2014

The Millennium Bugs, along with Jacki Ford, will be performing for the Rotary Club of Carson City's Sunset Mardi Gras Celebration on March 8, 2014, from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the Carson Nugget Ballroom. There will be live music and dancing, a Creole Buffet Dinner at 6:00 p.m., and a King of the Mardi Gras Contest. Proceeds benefit local youth programs, including youth leadership training, literacy programs, and foreign exchange programs. Tickets are $50. Rotary hopes to make this an annual event if it is successful, so please let people know about it.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Edward Jones Financial (Janice Macauley) at 775-841-6010 or Sierra Oxygen at 775-884-1234.

"Jazz & Beyond" Seeks Volunteers
for 2014 Music Festival

The "Jazz and Beyond: Carson City Music Festival" held a kick-off meeting for organizers and potential volunteers on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Carson City Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 1200 S. Carson St., Carson City. This year's festival is scheduled to run from Aug. 1 to 17 at multiple locations in Carson City.

"Jazz & Beyond is a homegrown event that celebrates the talent of our region and relies on many local citizens who donate their time and effort," said committee co-chair David Bugli, president of the Mile High Jazz Band Association. "Your participation on the organizing committee can help make this, our eleventh year, a great success. Volunteers, sponsors, and advertisers help us make the event one of the best in the area, and keep most performances admission free."

The festival, which began in 2004, is presented by Mile High Jazz Band Association, Carson City, local businesses, and music lovers. Many festival events will be downtown, and one or more may be held in conjunction with the Nevada Sesquicentennial Fair from July 30 through Aug. 3 in Fuji Park. (See http://www.nv150fair.com.) Last year, the Jazz & Beyond Festival featured 60 performances and over 100 performers. Beyond jazz, it included bluegrass, blues, mariachi, and more. Free events, including Sunday afternoon concerts on the grounds of the Legislature, attracted large crowds. Information about last year's festival can be found at http://milehighjazz.com/jazzcarsoncity.htm.

For information about the kickoff meeting, volunteer positions, sponsorships, ad rates, and festival details, see JazzCarsonCity.com or call the Mile High Jazz Band Association at 775-883-4154.

Mile High Jazz Band Presents Jazz & Poetry at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band with guest vocalist Cindee LeVal (pictured) will be joined by six poets and readers for "Odds and Ends," a lively evening of big-band jazz music and poetry. The event will be on Tuesday, March 11, 2014, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City. Admission is $5 general and free for age 18 and under.

The program will feature award-winning poets and readers Rita Geil, Roy Chavez, Joe Crowley, Tim Rhodes, Amy Roby, and Lee Warner. The performance is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information, call the Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154, or visit the web site: MileHighJazz.com.

For information about live music at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662 or see CommaCoffee.com.

Mile High Jazz Band Presents
April Jazz Anniversary Concert
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

For 13 years, Mile High Jazz Band has been playing at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, on the second Tuesday of every month, thanks to the cooperation of Comma Coffee owner, June Joplin (pictured). Come celebrate this milestone with us on April 8, 2014! Hear sensational big-band music with vocalist Sheryl Adams and guest vocalists Cindee LeVal and June Joplin, and enjoy anniversary cake at intermission. General admission is $5 at the door, and it's free for age 18 and under.

The Mile High Jazz Band includes trumpets, trombones, saxophones, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and singers. They will play about twenty tunes from their ever-expanding repertoire of selections in the style of Basie, Ellington, and more contemporary composers and arrangers.

The performance is supported, in part, with public funding through the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For information about the Mile High Jazz Band, call 775-883-4154, or visit their web site: MileHighJazz.com. For information about other live music at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662.

Middle School Jazz Workshop
Saturday, May 3, 2014

On Saturday, May, 3, 2014, the Mile High Jazz Band will present a jazz workshop for middle school students from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The workshop will be at Carson Middle School. This event is not open to the public, but middle school age musicians from Carson City may participate. For information, contact David Bugli at 775-883-4154. This event is funded in part by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council.

Mile High Jazz Band performs at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band performs "Merry May Jazz" at Comma Coffee on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5 general and free for age 18 and under.

Mile High Jazz Band presents "Jazz & Poetry"
"Hide & Seek" at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band with vocalists Sheryl Adams and Cindee LeVal will be joined by seven poets and readers for "Hide & Seek," a lively evening of big-band jazz music and poetry. Enjoy some great big band music and enjoy poetry on the theme of "Hide & Seek."The event will be on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City. Admission is $5 general and free for age 18 and under.

The program will feature award-winning poets and readers Rita Geil (poet coordinator), Roy Chavez, Joe Crowley, Susan Sara Priest, Tim Rhodes, Amy Roby, and Lee Warner. This is the 42nd "Jazz & Poetry" event presented by the Mile High Jazz Band. These events are presented four times a year. The band generally performs on the second Tuesday of each month throughout the year. For more information, call the Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154, or visit the web site: MileHighJazz.com.

Millennium Bugs perform for Chamber of Commerce Meeting
at Carson City Senior Center and Lone Mountain Cemetery
Friday, June 27, 2014

The Millennium Bugs will perform for the Carson City Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting & Leadership Graduation on Friday, June 27, 2014, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive, Carson City. The event will include a New Orleans style barbecue on the patio. The event will conclude with the Millennium Bugs performing in Dixieland style and walking the attendees across the street to the historic portion of Lone Mountain Cemetery and the gravesite of Carson City founding father Abraham Curry, where the Leadership Carson City class of 2014 will unveil a historic project related to Nevada's Sesquicentennial.

For information about he event, call the Chamber of Commerce at 775-882-1565.

Mile High Jazz Band Assoc. Annual Meeting
Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band Association will be holding its Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 29, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. at the home of Betty Young. Mile High Jazz Band musicians, MHJB Association members, and guests are invited. For information, reservation, and directions, please e-mail ehbugli@aol.com.

Mile High Jazz Band performs at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band performs at Comma Coffee (Comma Courtyard) on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Millennium Bugs play for Ice Cream Social
Saturday, August 9, 2014

The Millennium Bugs play for Ice Cream Social for the Carson City Historical Society on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, at the Roberts House Museum, 1207 N. Carson St., Carson City from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Note: Time of event is subject to change.) This is part of the "Jazz & Beyond: Carson City Music Festival." Admission is free.

Mile High Jazz Band presents
Trombonist Bill Watrous in concert and master class
Monday, August 11, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band is proud to present legendary trombonist Bill Watrous in concert and in a master class on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St., Carson City. These events are part of the "Jazz & Beyond: Carson City Music Festival," which runs from Aug. 1 to Aug. 17, 2014, and features over 40 events, mostly in the downtown Carson City area.

The concert is at 7:30 p.m. The Mile High Jazz Band will accompany Mr. Watrous on the first half of the program. On the second half of the program he will be accompanied by Bill Hecht on piano, Hans Halt on bass, and Andy Heglund on drums. Hecht is a staple of the regional jazz scene, as are Halt and Heglund, who are on the music faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno. Admission to the concert is $15. Tickets are available at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, may be ordered online from the festival website at JazzCarsonCity.com, or may be purchased at the door.

The trombone master class with Bill Watrous is from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m., at the Community Center. Local trombonists were invited to work with Mr. Watrous on their trombone technique, jazz improvisation, and other musical skills. This is a great opportunity for the public to learn by observing these lessons up close. The master class is open to the public and is free. It is funded, in part, by For the Love of Jazz (FTLOJ).

Bill Watrous is a master technician on the trombone and is generally considered a bop-oriented player. He is known for his clean sound on up-tempo songs and ballads. His first solo album, "In Love Again," featured his ballad playing and was the first in a long discography featuring his work as a leader and as a sideman. Sought after for studio work, he performed or recorded with several famous bandleaders including Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, and Quincy Jones, as well as fellow trombonists Kai Winding and Carl Fontana. He was with the house band for the Merv Griffin Show from 1965 to 1968. In the 1970s he created his own group, Manhattan Wildlife Refuge, which he renamed Refuge West when he moved from the east coast to southern California. He now lives in Los Angeles and is on the faculty of the University of Southern California.

Information about "Jazz & Beyond" can be found at JazzCarsonCity.com. "Jazz & Beyond" is supported by Mile High Jazz Band Assoc., Carson City, and the Nevada Commission on Tourism. This will be the only performance by the Mile High Jazz Band in August, but the band generally performs on the second Tuesday of each month throughout the rest of the year. For more information, call the Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154, or visit the web site: MileHighJazz.com.

Tickets for the concert are available online at ActivityTicket.com, where you can use a credit or debit card. Just click on the "BUY NOW" button below. Tickets are $15. You may also call 775-883-4154 for tickets or obtain them at The Purple Avocado at 904 N. Curry St. and Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, (cash or check only).

Note: Because of this event with Bill Watrous, the Mile High Jazz Band will not be performing on the second Tuesday in August (Aug. 12), nor on the last day of the "Jazz & Beyond" festival (Aug. 17). The next "second Tuesday" performance will be on Sept. 9, 2014.

Photo of Bill Watrous is courtesy of John Dugan.

Jazz & Beyond 2014

This year's "Jazz & Beyond is held Aug. 1 to 17, 2014, so mark your calendars now.

You may also go directly to our "details" page at milehighjazz.com/jazzcarsoncity.htm.

A Note about our usual August performance

Note: Because of the workshop and concert with Bill Watrous on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, the Mile High Jazz Band will not be performing on the second Tuesday in August, nor on the last day of the "Jazz & Beyond" festival. The next "second Tuesday" performance will be on Sept. 9, 2014.

Mile High Jazz Band Presents "Light of Day"
Big Band Jazz and Poetry
Tuesday, September 9, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band with vocalists Sheryl Adams and Cindee LeVal will be joined by several poets and readers for an evening of big-band music and poetry on the theme "Light of Day." Each poem will be followed by a related big-band tune. The event will be on Tuesday, September 9, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City. The event will be outdoors in the adjacent courtyard, weather permitting. Admission is $5 general and free for age 18 and under.

The program will feature poets and readers Rita Geil, Roy Chavez, Susan Sara Priest, Tim Rhodes, Amy Roby, and Lee Warner.

For more information, call the Mile High Jazz Band at 775-883-4154, or visit the web site: MileHighJazz.com.

Pictured: Poet Amy Roby reads at a Mile High Jazz Band's Jazz & Poetry event at Comma Coffee.

Mile High Jazz Band performs
Autumn Jazz at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Mile High Jazz Band presents Autumn Jazz, a program of big-band music, on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street. General admission is $5 at the door; free for age 18 and under. This performance is on the first Tuesday of the month, rather than the usual second Tuesday of the month.

Autumn Jazz is part of World Music Days, an annual global event affirming the ideals of tolerance, friendship, and shared humanity, inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl.

Mile High Jazz Band is supported by public funding from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For information about Autumn Jazz and the Mile High Jazz Band Band, call 775-883-4154, or see the website MileHighJazz.com. For information on other events at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662 or see the website CommaCoffee.com.

Pictured: Cindee LeVal will sing with Mile High Jazz Band at Comma Coffee.

"Jazz & Beyond" 2014 was a success
Planning for 2015 to begin Oct. 7, 2014

We've judged the "Jazz & Beyond: Carson City Music Festival," held from Aug. 1 through August 17, a success both financially and artistically. We want to thank the musicians, planners, volunteers, and sponsors who helped make this year's event a great one.

Planning for the 2015 festival will begin in earnest with a planning meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at the Carson City Chamber of Commerce conference room. Our preliminary plan is to have the festival from Friday, Aug. 7, to Sunday, Aug. 23, but a final decision has not been made.

If you are interested in being involved in the planning process, contact David Bugli at DCBugli@aol.com or at 775-883-4154.

Mile High Jazz Band performs at Comma Coffee
Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Mile High Jazz Band presents November Jazz, a program of big band music, on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2014, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street. General admission is $5 at the door; free for age 18 and under.

In honor of veterans, the band will play "Bugle Call Rag," "American Patrol," and "In the Mood." To reflect the change of season, they will perform "The Heat's On," "Early Autumn," and, with band vocalist Cindee LeVal, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." LeVal will be featured in several selections. The band will also be remembering former MHJB guitarist, Jacki Montgomery.

Mile High Jazz Band is supported by public funding from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For information about Autumn Jazz and the Mile High Jazz Band, call 775-883-4154, or see the website MileHighJazz.com. For information on other events at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662 or see the website CommaCoffee.com.

Mile High Jazz Band Jazz & Poetry Event
"Naughty or Nice"
Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Mile High Jazz Band and vocalists Cindee LeVal, Jakki Ford, June Joplin, and Scott LeVal, will be joined by Rita Geil and other award-winning poets and readers for an evening of big-band jazz and poetry on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Comma Coffee. General admission is $5 at the door, and free for age 18 and under.

Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, is across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City.

The theme of the evening, "Naughty or Nice," relates to the holidays and to life in general. Poets and readers are Rita Geil, Terri Breeden, Wayne Carlson, Joe Crowley, Amy Roby, Susan Sara Priest, and Tim Rhodes, and McAvoy Layne, the Ghost of Mark Twain.

The Mile High Jazz Band plays at Comma Coffee on the second Tuesday of each month, and poets join them every third month. For more information, call 775-883-4154, or visit MileHighJazz.com.

Pictured: Jakki Ford to sing in Mile High Jazz Band's "Naughty or Nice" Holiday Jazz and Poetry event on Dec. 9.

Mile High Jazz Band Earns The Community Foundation
of Western Nevada Certificate

For the fourth year in a row, the Mile High Jazz Band Assoc. has earned a certificate for Generous Leadership and Exemplary Commitment from The Community Foundation of Western Nevada. The certificate is given for 100 percent monetary support and generous leadership in 2014 by the Board of the Association. We thank the Board for their commitment to the organization and its aims.