On Friday, February 7th, at the CHS PAEC, Calabasas High hosted a Celebrity Jazz Show with special guest Christian Sands. Sands is a well-respected jazz pianist and composer who was nominated for a Grammy last year for his instrumental album “Embracing Dawn”. The show was a grand LVUSD demonstration of strong student musicianship from Calabasas High and Agoura High.

The show opened with CHS Jazz B, noticeably playing smooth transitional decrescendos. After Jazz B finished their set, Agoura High School Jazz III took the stage, standing out for their use of tropical staccatos, french horn solos, and tight bass section, with the drummer even playing a 7A stick, giving the music a much lighter and gentler tone. Jazz III gave way to AHS Jazz II. Like the previous Agoura band, Jazz II had a liquid, smooth groove to their sound, heavily indulging in vibraphones and baritone horns. Jazz II finished their set, and CHS Jazz Combo took the stage with a silky rendition of Outkast’s “Love Hater”.

After a small intermission, AHS Jazz I took the stage for a Duke Ellington cover of “Blues for New Orleans”. CHS took center stage after Jazz I’s performance, with both Jazz B and Jazz A bands performing. The evening’s most anticipated and closing act was a Jazz Combo band formed of CHS and AHS students, accompanied by the great Christian Sands on piano, in which they performed a stylized rendition of Mile Davis’ standard “4”.