A woman with dreadlocks holding a saxophone on a city street at night.

Sonoma Valley Jazz Society Gives Back

The Sonoma Valley Jazz Society supports and sustains jazz in our community through performance, education, and direct artist support.

We present a diverse range of international, regional, and local jazz artists in live performance, while producing four free concerts each year in Sonoma Plaza to make live music accessible to all.

We celebrate cultural diversity through an annual Latin Jazz program that uplifts and honors our Latin community.

We invest in the future of jazz by providing scholarships for high school and college students pursuing jazz studies, and by offering clinics and educational support to local high school jazz programs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we assisted local jazz artists with direct grants and continued support when it was needed most.

We also provide ongoing opportunities for local musicians through gigs, grants, and promotional assistance, and collaborate with arts organizations across Napa Valley and the greater Bay Area to strengthen the regional arts ecosystem.

A young woman playing a saxophone on stage, with a bright light overhead and a dark background.

A man with dark skin and a big curly afro hairstyle, smiling and wearing a black collared shirt, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

Joe Campbell is a 23-year-old multi-instrumentalist, composer, music theorist, and arranger from Cotati, California. At 11, he picked up his first instrument, the violin, which he quickly opted out of, switching to alto saxophone at 12. Around the same time, he began experimenting with piano, and by 13 he had added both drums and guitar to his developing musical foundation. Throughout middle school, from ages 12 to 15, he performed on drums and alto saxophone in school ensembles, and in high school he ultimately set aside the alto sax to focus full time on drums and percussion. At 16, he began playing bass, which for a period became his primary instrument while he continued to perform on drums. During the summer of his junior year, Joe attended the Groove School summer camp at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied with drummer Skip Hadden, known for his work with artists such as Eddie Gomez, Dewey Redman, and Weather Report. Over two days, they focused on jazz fusion drumming and polyrhythms, an experience that profoundly shaped Joe’s musical direction and deepened his commitment to jazz study. The following year, in his senior year of high school, he was awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in recognition of excellence in jazz. Today, Joe’s mission in music is centered on bringing people together, viewing music as a connective force for spirit and community. Inspired by the sentiment often associated with Roy Hargrove that if you take care of the music, it will take care of you, Joe approaches music as a practice of study, sharing, and dialogue, believing that engaging deeply with musical ideas transforms it from a self-contained pursuit into a larger mission of contribution, connection, and collective uplift.

The Sonoma Valley Jazz Society operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, sustaining itself through the generous donations of local residents and businesses. Our dedicated board comprises entirely of volunteers. Over the past 35 years, we have consistently delivered exceptional Jazz performances in the Sonoma Valley. Each year, we provide scholarships to talented local jazz students. Notably, we've recently initiated a collaboration with Sonoma State University (SSU), renowned for its outstanding Jazz Program. The selection of two students was guided by the recommendations of the faculty, acknowledging their exceptional dedication to their respective instruments. We aspire to nurture and expand this partnership with SSU on an annual basis.

Last year we gave out two more scholarships to Louis Sheppard, trumpeter, and Luke Gibson, guitarist.
In 2023 we gave out two scholarships; one to Saxophonist Estella Zea and Pianist Jomei Greer.

This year’s recepients are Joesph Campbell (drums) and Blake Biller (guitar).

Blake Biller is a 19-year-old Jazz Studies major from Marin County. He first picked up the guitar at age 9, initially inspired by the rock acts of the 1970s. Early in his musical journey, discovering Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead opened the door to improvisation, which quickly became a central focus in his development as a player. Everything shifted when his father, a local jazz drummer, introduced him to Breezin’ by George Benson, an experience that led Blake to a deep connection with jazz and a clear desire to master the style. He attended Marin School of the Arts, where he spent four years in both the jazz and rock programs, studying and performing extensively while working with mentors such as former Frank Zappa bassist Scott Thunes and trumpeter Bill Theurer, who has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Aretha Franklin among others. His time there significantly expanded his musical vocabulary and introduced him to a wide range of influential musicians and educators. Blake’s influences include Joe Pass, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, and Pat Martino. He currently attends Sonoma State University, where he studies under guitarist Randy Vincent, whose guidance has continued to elevate Blake’s playing and deepen his approach to jazz guitar.

Close-up of a woman with dark hair making a surprised or confused facial expression, standing outdoors on rocky ground.

Fernando received a jazz scholarship and used it for vocal lessons.

Close-up digital illustration of a virus particle with a colorful, abstract background.

Worked with fellow jazz society - Napa Valley Jazz Society to give grants to local Sonoma jazz musicans during COVID with the JAZZ ARTIST RELIEF FUND.

Three musicians performing indoors. A man playing keyboard in the background, a young woman playing saxophone in the center, and an older man playing saxophone in the foreground.

Scholarship recepient Gio Mendez used his scholarship for improving his saxophone skills. Here he is with saxophonist Noel Jewkes

Three musicians in a classroom, one with a trumpet, one on drums, and one on keyboard.

Composter & trombonist Adam Theis (Jazz Mafia) teaches a master jazz class at Sonoma High.

Group of young musicians playing saxophones in a rehearsal space

Sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society, Rebecca Fitch - Music Director at Sooma Valley High School welcomed Jazz Musicians Kendrick Freeman - Drums, Steve Rubardt - Piano, Andrew Emer - Bass, Gio Mendes - Saxophone (Sonoma Valley Jazz Society scholarship recipient) to her morning class. The group performed and presented elements of jazz performance, jazz repertoire, blues forms & song structure, harmony and rhythmic variances. The class played through Herbie Hancock’s " Watermelon Man” and students improvised over the tune.

A group of students sitting on the classroom floor listening to a teacher or presenter, with some wearing holiday-themed accessories, like a Santa hat, in a classroom setting.

Flowery Grade School listens to jazz performance by Saxophonist Brian Girard, Bassist Tim Campbell and Guitarist Randy Vincent

Hi Janice,
First of I want to extend a big thank you on behalf of the students, I think students took away quite a lot from this experience and they were very grateful to have the opportunity to be able to talk, listen, and jam with a pro musician. I think the students who weren't musicians or had little experience in music also gained some wisdom from the experience and had the chance to experience. Overall I think it was a big success and a step-up for the music program, thank you for all of your help in coordinating this session. I am really looking forward (as well as the students) to the next opportunity to do this again. Thank you. Sincerely,
Casey Jones Sonoma Valley High School

Dick Conte Jazz Piano Scholarship

Another great organization we have donated to - The California Jazz Conservatory