Local student jazz band wins first place at festival

Students in the 8 O’Clock Jazz Band at Brethren Christian High School in Huntington Beach took first place last weekend in the Advanced Big Band division at the Fullerton College Jazz Festival.

The band, under the direction of 20-year director Len Montgomery, competed at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

“It’s a challenge to play your horn that early in the morning, especially on a Saturday,” Montgomery said. “After hearing them play their set, I didn’t really care how we placed. They knocked the cover off the ball.”

The band scored straight “superior” ratings from the panel of three judges, all professional jazz musicians and educators.

Brethren had a second jazz band, the Jazz Workshop, competing in the intermediate division.

The Workshop band also scored unanimous superior ratings.

All Brethren Christian jazz band students perform as part of a big band and also as part of a small combo.

The school of just less than 400 students entered six groups in Saturday’s competition.

For more information, call (714) 962-6617 or visit bchs.net.

— Candice Baker