Otters Jazz it Up Downtown

Greg Tomascheski, Staff Reporter

Greg_Tomascheski@csumb.edu

Feb.12, 2008

For just over a year now the CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB) Jazz Orchestra has been performing weekly at Monterey Live, a small music venue in downtown Monterey.  

Owners Gary Smith and Susan Miller took over the business on Alvarado Street last Dec. 19, 2007.  The new owners say they plan on keeping the venue open for live entertainment acts and cocktails at night, but also want to work lunch and possibly breakfast into the mix for those looking for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat earlier in the day.  

The CSUMB Jazz Orchestra is lead by Paul Contos who has been teaching Music and Performing Arts at CSUMB for nearly a decade.  The Orchestra is made up of several of Monterey’s finest jazz musicians including Roger Eddy (Tenor Sax), Stu Reynolds (Alto Sax) and Eddie Mendenhall (Piano).

Soon after the band started their set, the seats in Monterey Live filled with jazz fans of all ages.  CSUMB student Melody Ainsworth commented, "The live music sounds like something out of a movie... it's great to see how much manpower and how many components go into one piece."

Some members of the ensemble enjoy assisting CSUMB students who are interested in musicianship by offering sessions where the students can harness their musical skill with a local star.  Contos says, "it's important for us to be open to learning... music is too vast for one person to keep up with."  

As a music instructor, Contos strives for a mutual learning experience.  His students expose him to new sounds and ideas every semester.

Contos is not the only member of the Jazz Orchestra that teaches at CSUMB, bassist Heath Proskin is also a math professor at the University.

The CSUMB Jazz Orchestra plays every Tuesday night at Monterey Live, 414 Alvarado St. in downtown Monterey.  Show information and tickets are available at www.montereylive.org.