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Meet Liam Sutcliffe, Jimmy Waltman, Sam AuBuchon, Derick Freitas Campos
Courtesy Ben Feldman
The NJJS Board of Directors would like to thank the esteemed panel of judges, comprised of professional musicians, educators and industry leaders — Don Braden, Ted Chubb, Mariel Bildsten, and Jason Olaine — for their participation and expertise in crafting and shepherding this competition.
—Cydney Halpin
The winners of the New Jersey Jazz Society's new Juried Scholarship Competition are:
$1,000 prize for Performance
Trumpeter
Liam Sutcliffe
trumpet$1,000 prize for Composition
Vocalist Jimmy Waltman, Princeton University Program in Jazz Studies$500 prize for Performance
Bassist Sam AuBuchon, William Paterson University Jazz Studies Program$500 prize for Composition
Guitarist Derick Freitas Campos, Montclair State University, John J. Cali School of Music Jazz Studies ProgramThe competition was open to all college students currently enrolled in a New Jersey college undergraduate music program. Along with the cash awards, the winning students will also receive guidance, mentorship, and the opportunity to perform with an industry professional. This inaugural competition was generously sponsored by Nan Hughes Poole, and an additional anonymous donation. NJJS would like to thank both donors for their patronage and stewardship. The Board of Directors would also like to thank the esteemed panel of judges, comprised of professional musicians, educators and industry leaders—
Don Braden
saxophone, tenorb.1963
Ted Chubb
trumpetMariel Bildsten
trombone
Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Sonny Stitt
saxophone1924 - 1982
James Moody
woodwinds1925 - 2010
While attending Princeton High School, Sutcliffe made the All-State Band every year and was a winner in the jazz category of YoungArts, a Miami, FL-based organization that identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary and performing arts and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers. In his senior year in high school, Sutcliffe won the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education Rick Kerber Scholarship, presented to one soloist every year at the NJAJE high school jazz band state finals. After spending a year at the Manhattan School of Music, Sutcliffe transferred to Rutgers where he studied trumpet under
Tatum Greenblatt
trumpetb.1982
Ralph Bowen
saxophone
Victor Lewis
drumsb.1950
Conrad Herwig
tromboneb.1959
Greenblatt, featured as one of the four trumpet "Young Lions" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Wynton at 60" concert last fall, wrote a letter recommending Sutcliffe for the NJJS Scholarship. He recalled encountering the young trumpeter "during his senior year of high school. He was a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, the top ensemble in the High School Jazz Academy, which I co-led at the time with Ted Nash. The trumpet section that year was a veritable 'Murderer's Row'—one of the best I've ever seen at the high school level. Liam was our secret weapon of sorts, quiet and unassuming, but he would unleash a torrent of lyrical bebop over any set of changes.
"Much to my delight, Liam transferred to my studio at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts from Manhattan School of Music for his sophomore year. His dedication and drive were immediately clear, as was his desire to focus on the minutiae of the instrument." One of Sutcliffe's first professional gigs was playing with the Philadelphia Ambassador Big Band under the direction of pianist
Joe Block
pianob.1999
Dylan Band
saxophone, tenor"Some of my biggest influences on the trumpet," said Sutcliffe, "are
Roy Hargrove
trumpet1969 - 2018
Tom Harrell
trumpetb.1946
Kenny Dorham
trumpet1924 - 1972
Joe Magnarelli
trumpetb.1960
Jimmy Waltman While attending Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, NJ, Jimmy Waltman was encouraged by Choir Director " data-original-title="" title="">Randy Whitehead to audition for the jazz choir. "The group was very important to me as my first introduction to jazz," he said. "I also studied privately in high school with Dr. Tim Brent, who was an amazing teacher of jazz theory and improvisation, as well as vocal interpretation."
Waltman thought about attending a conservatory for college, but, "I ultimately chose to come to Princeton because of the freedom I would have to explore many styles of music and to study subjects outside of music. Composition, performance, and musicology are all important to me, and I love studying pop, R&B, and hip hop, in addition to jazz. I've also found that the classes I take outside of the music department, like astrophysics or Buddhist philosophy, often inspire me as a composer and songwriter."
His vocal heroes are
Betty Carter
vocals1929 - 1998
Chet Baker
trumpet and vocals1929 - 1988
Johnny Hartman
vocals1923 - 1983
Mary Lou Williams
piano1910 - 1981
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano1927 - 1994
Cecil Taylor
piano1929 - 2018
Kamasi Washington
saxophoneb.1981
Thundercat
bass, electricb.1984
Robert Glasper
pianob.1978
Darcy James Argue
composer / conductorb.1975
In his recommendation of Waltman for the NJJS Scholarship, Argue said, "He impressed me immediately with his passion for jazz songcraft, informed by his own experience as a singer. He dove into the course materials with gusto, and it was a pleasure to see him develop his understanding of harmony and orchestration." In his scholarship application, Waltman submitted "Ballad of an Early Summer Night," an original composition for big band. "This chart," Argue said, "impressed me with the maturity of the melody and harmonic progression and its well-formed architecture. It features soaring melodic writing for the solo trombone, a richly harmonized sax soli, and a buoyant double-time shout chorus. It is brimming with energy and ideas."
Added Waltman: "As I finish my junior year and think about my goals as a musician after I graduate, I would love the chance to connect with professional musicians as I enter the professional music world as a jazz composer and songwriter."
Sam AuBuchon Sam AuBuchon grew up in St. Louis but traveled to New Jersey to study at William Paterson because he felt "it would give me the tools I need to excel, learn and grow as a musician." At William Paterson, he studies jazz bass performance under
Steve LaSpina
bassb.1954
Ron Carter
bassb.1937
David Wong
bass"I knew that being close to New York," he said, "would help me immensely grow as a musician. Nearly all of my free time is spent practicing, listening, and studying as much as I can. I am going into New York to play at sessions at Smalls or going to the Blue Note so I can be involved with all the music that is currently happening."
AuBuchon's bass playing, said Dr.
"
data-original-title="" title="">David Demsey, Coordinator of Jazz Studies at William Paterson, "is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, and he has benefited a great deal from studying with our bass faculty and with 
Bill Charlap
pianob.1966
As he finishes his sophomore year, AuBuchon wants to "continue to grow and keep moving forward. I want to be able to use my playing and my music to push forward and find new ideas, new sounds, and concepts. I would like to be a leader of this music and help spread it. My current jazz education teaches and shows me the history of the music, from where it began to where it is currently. With that knowledge, I believe it can help me to find new sounds and help bring my own original and personal sound to the music."
Derickk Freitas Campos During his junior year at Fort Lee High School, Derick Campos joined Jazz House Kids. "As a songwriter," he said, "I wanted to get closer to understanding jazz harmony, which is what led me to the program. My first combo teacher was (alto saxophonist)
Bruce Williams
saxophoneCampos selected Montclair State because he wanted to study with guitarist
Dave Stryker
guitarb.1957
Campos began playing guitar at age 13. His family is from Brazil, and Stryker pointed out that "he has an affinity for Portuguese as well as jazz composition." Added Campos: "Writing music is the closest thing I have as a connection to my roots and inner self. In my submission, the song I wrote, 'Caminhando con Ton,' was dedicated to (Brazilian guitarist)
Toninho Horta
guitarOther early influences were
Joao Gilberto
vocals1931 - 2019
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano1927 - 1994
Wes Montgomery
guitar1923 - 1968
George Benson
guitarb.1943
Kenny Burrell
guitar, electricb.1931
Tags
Rising Stars
Liam Sutcliffe
Sanford Josephson
Jimmy Waltman
Sam AuBuchon
Derick Freitas Campos
Don Braden
Ted Chubb
Mariel Bildsten
Dizzy Gillespie
Bob Pollitt
John Coltrane
Sonny Stitt
James Moody
Tatum Greenblatt
Ralph Bowen
Victor Lewis
Conrad Herwig
Joe Block
Dylan Band
Roy Hargrove
Tom Harrell
Kenny Dorham
Joe Magnarelli
Randy White
Tim Bren
Betty Carter
Chet Baker
Johnny Hartman
Mary Lou Williams
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Cecil Taylor
kamasi washington
Thundercat
Robert Glasper
Darcy James Argue
Steve LaSpina
Ron Carter
David Wong
David Demsey
Bill Charlap
Bruce Williams
Dave Stryker
Toninho Horta
Joao Gilberto
Wes Montgomery
george benson
Kenny Burrell
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