The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco this of "Transito" enjoying!

Jazz Global Beat and allied Jazz Caribe and Jazzven feel immense pleasure and pride to present this extraordinary Youth Orchestra playing Latin Jazz. 

Enjoy it! 

¡¡Viva The Latin Jazz!!,

Luis Raul Montell

The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco, or LJYE, is a performing group of talented musicians ages ten to 18. They play Latin jazz classics and original compositions at a level that has landed them gigs at the San Jose Jazz Festival, the KCSM Jazz Festival, KGO Radio, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF Museum of Modern Art, Paramount's Great America and the world-renown jazz club, Yoshi’s.

The LJYE has shared the stage with legendary performers such as the great Cuban bassist, Cachao; piano virtuoso Chuchito Valdes; Latin jazz heavyweights Poncho Sanchez and Clare Fischer; and the Grammy Award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Their mission is to preserve the traditions of Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music by teaching it to youth and to create role models for aspiring student musicians.  The group has won numerous performance awards and is honored to be Youth Artists-in-Residence at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens Festival since 2005.

Music Director: John Calloway

Managing Director: Arturo Riera

Co-Chair: Sylvia Ramirez

John Callaway, Ph.D - Director Musical

A multi-instrumentalist, award-winning composer, arranger, educator and performer, John is a virtuoso flutist in demand for recording sessions and performances in the U.S. and internationally. He has worked with many of the leading Latin and jazz artists of our time, including Max Roach, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, and Pete Escovedo. He is a founding member of the Grammy nominated Machete Ensemble, led by John Santos, and has composed and arranged much of their material. John teaches music in the San Francisco Unified School District, at San Francisco State University and at professional workshops and clinics. With his band, Diaspora, he has released two CD's, Diaspora and The Code. John has a M.A. Degree in music education and a Ph.D. in multi-cultural and international education. He is a member of the San Francisco Arts Commission.  As co-founder and music director of the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, he selects the student members by audition, rehearses the group and creates compositions and arrangements for the ensemble.