Every summer, Paul Romaine brings young musicians to Westcliffe through the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts’ jazz camp. Now, he’s expanding that musical connection with the new Westcliffe Community Jazz Ensemble which performed in mid-May at the Jones Theater.Romaine said a generous donation from a community member inspired him to finally make it happen.
“We were one of 10 nonprofits to get this bequest,” Romaine explained. “And it was enough of an amount that we could not worry about the balance sheet so much, and just do something in this community that I’ve always wanted to do.”
Romaine said that after spending the past 26 years coming to Westcliffe for the CCJA Jazz in the Sangres Camp, he wanted to deepen his connection with the community beyond his annual summer visits.
“I don’t live through the ebbs and flows of the town and what happens, but I certainly feel it every year when I come here, and it just makes such a big difference to connect with, to find out we have these young musicians that wanna learn how to play, and to nurture that talent and connection in the community is a big deal for us.” Romaine reflected.
The Westcliffe Community Jazz Ensemble performs at The Historic Jones Theater in Westcliffe. From left to right: Katherine Johnston (piano), Killain Petek (trumpet), Joey Quintana (guitar), Pink Pitcher (bass), Paul Romaine (drums), and Ruby Kenyon (alto saxophone).
The Westcliffe Community Jazz Ensemble has seven members, including Romaine and Brad Goode, both professors at CU Boulder.
Goode moved to Colorado to teach music in 2004. That was when Romaine asked him to join the Conservatory.
“I think it’s a very important thing to keep music going, to keep music education going, to bring jazz education to places where the community might not already have some or might not be able to afford having some,” Goode emphasized. “And I’ve really had fun being a part of this new project, and I’m really excited to see where it’s gonna go.”
Other members include Custer County High School music teacher Katherine Johnston, along with three students: Joey Quintana on guitar, Ruby Kenyon on alto saxophone, and Killian Petek on trumpet.
“It’s my first time really being on stage and playing music, and it’s just such an experience that I’m probably gonna hold for the rest of my life,” Petek said. Another member of the ensemble is Pink Pitcher, who moved to the Wet Mountain Valley in 2019. Pitcher was raised in Denver, where she studied with Keith Oxman at East High School. She continued to play in bands throughout the city but didn’t enjoy the late-night/bar scene lifestyle. She said she had missed playing live, so when she saw the flyer for the ensemble, she was excited.
Pink Pitcher (foreground), Joey Quintana on guitar, and Custer County Schools Music Teacher, Katherine Johnston on stage at The Jones Theater in Westcliffe.
“I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds really fun.’ I reached out to Paul. And if you’re not in the music world, drummers and bass players are hard to find,” Pitcher explained.
The ensemble first got together in April. Then, they met every Friday, rehearsing for 8 sessions in total before their performance at the Jones Theater.
In addition to directing the ensemble, Romaine also plays the drums. He calls this a ‘proof of concept’ and wants it to continue. He feels that it’s easier to keep the ensemble going since he now has a good connection with the music teacher at Custer County Schools in Westcliffe.
“I know there’s kids in the valley that I was trying to get to do this ensemble that I have yet to get them to come. So I wanna see this thing hopefully grow to, if it can, like a full-size big band. That would be amazing,” Romaine said.
Paul Romaine encourages musicians ages 13 and up, regardless of experience level, to join the ensemble. Instruments are available for those who do not own one.
Although details are not yet finalized, the next session will begin sometime in September through mid-November, culminating in another concert.