Save Our Music!
                              "Keep Moooving Forward"
JazzCrusader.com



ABOUT OUR HISTORY

The genesis of the Vaca Jazz Society’s historic roots began with the first
community band program in Solano County.  Under the direction of local
school music director Parker Burns, the first “Vacaville Stage Band”
included high school students from throughout Solano County in the late
1960’s & 1970’s, and was reintroduced as the Vacaville Unified School
District Adult School Jazz Ensemble during the 1980’s.
In addition to developing one of the first local youth jazz stage bands and
community jazz ensembles, Parker was instrumental in inspiring and
teaching hundreds of students at the Elementary and Jr High School
music programs for over thirty years, concluding with his retirement in the
early 1990’s.

One of his former inspired music students, band director Keith Stout,
passionately carried on his mentor’s community jazz band vision, creating
the VacaCity Stage Orchestra (VCSO) in 1994, fully sponsored by the
City of Vacaville Community Services Department.

Community Services Director Jim Ball, mentor Parker Burns and various
North Bay musicians supported Keith and his associates to reassemble a
new community jazz band to be hosted at the new Vacaville Performing
Arts Theater (VPAT).  Keith Stout’s Alive Music Orchestra (AMO) had
performed throughout Northern California and in national television
appearances.  Two well attended AMO Christmas Shows at VPAT in
1992 & 1993 reinforced support for a new VCSO community band.  Thus,
in 1994 Parker’s original mission was brought back to life.  The
contributing VCSO team of advisors was Parker Burns, Jim Ball, Don
Kidder (City Commissioner), Dr Roger Abrew, DDS, Ken Stout (Owner of
Live Music Academy), Greg Crow (VPAT Manager), and local school
district representatives.

The VCSO provided community band classes and concert performances
throughout the spring, summer and winter sessions at the newly
constructed VPAT. Select outstanding VCSO students attending the
VCSO classes were presented the prestigious Parker Burns Awards.
Several award recipients were later accepted into the Air Force Academy,
MIT, West Point, Dartmouth, UCLA, UC Davis, Sac State and other
universities. Mayor David Fleming and Assistant School Superintendant
Hal Bush contributed to the annual Awards presented to both youth and
adults in the North Bay.

With the success of the Vaca City Stage Orchestra, Director Keith Stout,
VPAT Manager Greg Crow, and an interested SF marketing firm met in
1994 with the Management of Vacaville’s “Nut Tree” about creating a
Jazz Festival at the historic location. There was interest in the concept of
an annual Jazz Festival, which would provide local support for performing
artists and students, and reenergize businesses in Solano County in the
midst of a recession. Preliminary plans began in 1995, but within the year
the Nut Tree facilities had closed, thereby ending all ventures for the
proposed Jazz Festival.

As local jazz musicians were looking for venues closer to home, a
potential venue at the Vacaville CreekWalk was nearing completion.  In
1999 Keith Stout approached Vacaville’s Community Services
Department representative Todd Grames, the City Managers Office, and
the City Council with a proposal to create a Jazz Festival in downtown
Vacaville.  Keith and his associates felt the new CreekWalk and its historic
surroundings could support such an endeavor. The city accepted the
group’s proposal and founded a board of directors from the resources of
the VacaCity Stage Orchestra, Alive Music Orchestra, city patrons,
educators, City Commissioners, artists, businessmen, and other
volunteers.  Thus was formed the Vaca Jazz Society, to continue the
original vision of Parker Burns, and most importantly to begin planning for
the first annual Vacaville Jazz Festival in 2000.

The Jazz Festival was a great success!  The original crowd of 300
attendees has grown to over 5,000 since 2000, supporting a new local
family tradition and music safe haven for all age groups.

In early 2003, the VCSO lost City funding due to the elimination of the
Community Band program from the City’s annual community services
budget.  This was precipitated by federal cutbacks presented to a new
and unfamiliar City Management staff.  These factors contributed to the
VCSO losing their rehearsal space and venue at the VPAT.

In 2005 the Solano County Library partnered with the Jazz Society and
applied for the Crossroads California State Library Grant and only handful
of grants were awarded in 2006/ 2007. The Crossroads Youth Jazz
Camps, and the Jazz Festival's Symposiums held downtown library were
so very successful with public that the Jazz Music Institute, an
educational division of the Society was born to continue the original jazz
mission to "Save Our Music!"
Jazz Music Institute
Link to VJS Website
Vaca Jazz Society's
Jazz Music Institute

Contact us for more information on
Youth Camps and Clinics held at
the Vacaville Public Library- Town
Square in partnership with the
Solano County Library