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| Hale Baskin named to SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensemble by Ed Dickinson  Hale Baskin, the stunningly accomplished 17-year-old jazz singer from Redwood City, recently added another accomplishment to her resume when she was named vocalist for the SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensemble. The prestigious ensemble is comprised of students drawn from music programs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Baskin was selected from among the 75 student musicians, who auditioned for the stellar organization in September, 2006. The young singer swings right into action with the SFJAZZ band, performing at a noontime concert in San Francisco's Union Square on Tuesday, October 17.Selection to the SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensemble is no small achievement. Started in 2001 by Dr. Dee Spencer and SFJAZZ, San Francisco's world-renowned jazz festival the ensemble is a magnet for the brightest teenage jazz stars in the Bay Area. The ensemble performs to steady accolades and has twice reached the finals of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Competition. "Being chosen for the SFJAZZ All-Star Ensemble is a terrific honor, " Baskin says enthusiastically. "It's a chance to study and perform with the best of the best high school jazz musicians for miles around. I'm going to learn an incredible amount." Baskin's selection to the SFJAZZ Ensemble will come as no surprise to jazz fans who have been tracking her progress for the past two years. Her singing voice, sense of rhythm and swing and onstage poise all testify to Baskin's standing as a musician accomplished will beyond her age. Invited onstage to sing with jazz great Arturo Sandoval on two separate occasions last year, Baskin made local writers take notice. Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune said of Baskin's appearance with Sandoval at Yoshi's, "It looks like we have a rising star in our midst. Remember Baskin's name. You'll be hearing it again soon." Of her performance with Sandoval at the Napa Valley Opera House, Napa Valley Register writer Jay Goetting said, "The talent of Hale Baskin was equal to her surroundings. She was the picture of self-assuredness on the Opera House stage." In addition to her turns with Sandoval, Baskin has performed at major jazz venues around the Bay Area. Over the next two months, Hale will headline at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco. Baskin also appears regularly with her high school band, the Menlo-Atherton High School Jazz Ensemble, with who she's already toured Europe and with whom she'll once again be traveling to "the Continent" next summer. Nationally, Baskin's talents have been recognized by no less an authoritative source than DownBeat Magazine. This year, DownBeat presented Baskin with their award for the Outstanding Performance by a High School Jazz Vocalist. But as early as 2002, Baskin took first place in the DownBeat competition for her division, winning a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music's Summer Program. Baskin's talents are on display on her debut CD, The Forecast Calls for Hale, featuring Bay Area jazz stars including pianist Larry Dunlap, trombonist Wayne Wallace, bassist Seward McCain and drummer Jim Zimmerman. She'll soon be going into the studio for her follow-up effort. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |