|
Chloe Feoranzo began playing the saxophone around the age of 10 in the Pacific Beach Elementary Band under the direction of James Preston. Since then, she has become one of the busiest young saxophonists in San Diego. She plays lead tenor sax with Jazz Xpress under the direction of Stan Lawrence; lead alto sax with The Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Vince Greco; and lead tenor with the SDYS Stage Band, under the direction of Carl Hammond. She can be seen around town sitting in with great local musicians such as Chris Klich at Claire de Lunes, David Patrone at Clay’s in La Jolla, Elliott Lawrence at JSix downtown, Joe Marillo, Irving Flores, South Park Bar and Grill Thursday Night Jam, and many local Dixieland groups around town.
She studies with San Diego jazz musician Keith Jacobson and the legendary Charles McPherson. In addition to her ongoing private lessons, she travels to San Antonio a few times year to develop her skills in traditional jazz with her mentor Ron Hockett of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, which she joins at the Landing on the Riverwalk at night.
In 2005, Chloe went to her first San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival where she joined Dick Williams and his JazzSea Jammers. She fell in love with the traditional style of jazz and became hooked on improvisation. In the 2006 festival, she not only played with the Jammers but also wowed the crowds when she sat in with Mighty Aphrodite, Hal's Angels, Paris Washboard, Uptown Lowdown, Blue Street, Nice and Easy, and others. In 2007, the Festival invited her to be their first ever youth guest artist. They assigned her to sets with great bands such as the Pieter Meijers Quartet, Cornet Chop Suey, Wally’s Warehouse Waifs, vibraphonist John Cocuzzi, reed whiz Anita Thomas, guitarist Katie Cavera, the Climax Jazz Band and the Night Blooming Jazzmen. She was a huge hit, and is booked for a repeat performance in 2008.
Since last year's festival, Chloe has been surprising jazz fans around town by sitting in with High Society, Dixie Express, the SD Banjo Band, Bayside Dixie Stompers and the South Bay Ramblers to name just a few. Her first solo concert was with the Coronado Community Band, under the direction of Fred Lee, at the Balboa Park Organ Pavilion in August 2007. She performed at the Elkhart Jazz Festival 2008 as a special guest of the Dave Bennett Quartet and was a Guest Artist at the 2008 Pismo Beach Jazz Jubilee.
Chloe attended middle school at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. She was the youngest student to be placed in the high school’s advanced Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Tamara Paige. At SCPA that she fell in love with the tenor sax when given the opportunity to be a part of the band in the musical Grease. During her 3 years at SCPA, the ensembles she played in went to many music festivals where they consistently earned Superior ratings and Adjudicators Awards. She also had the great opportunity to play in a variety of orchestra pits for the schools musicals, which includes "The Music Man", "West Side Story", "A Chorus Line" and "Les Miserables". Chloe is currently in 11th grade in an independent study program with Dehesa Charter School.
In addition to her saxophone prowess, Chloe is an accomplished clarinetist. She was the assistant principle clarinet in the San Diego Youth Symphony and Philharmonia. This year the Philharmonia performed Mozart’s Requiem, with the San Diego Master Choral and San Diego Opera at Copley Symphony Hall. Her clarinet teachers have included Charlie Ells-McLeod and Molly Grieco. In 2006, she won first place in the Junior Division of the San Diego Clarinet Society’s Annual Competition, and in 2007 she won first place in the Senior Division.
For the past few years, Chloe has worked with ArtSmart, a company that brings band programs to schools that otherwise would not have any music program, demonstrating various reed instruments to inspire children to play an instrument and join their school band. She has also performed outreach programs for JAG of San Diego at local elementary schools.
Chloe’s takes classes and works an aide for the San Diego Junior Theatre education program. When the opportunity allows she joins in the SDJT orchestra pit. She could be heard in "Disney’s Beauty and the Beast", "Alice in Wonderland", "Holes","The Wiz" and "Grease".
She just completed her first solo CD, which was released in the spring of 2008. She has also recorded with Zzymzzy Quartet of Art Hurt Records, a project with Kojs Music Co, the Jazz Katz, Tess Nelson and just finished a CD project "I'm Not Happy" with The Jazz Ensemble.
|
