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David Ladd began his musical career as a musician and band leader while studying music at San Jose State University. His early bands; The Cavaliers, The Black Watch, and South Bay Experimental Flash performed on the same bill with some of the most influential bands of that era such as: Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Credence Clearwater, Sons of Champlin, Santana, Chicago, Tower of Power, Pablo Cruise, Ike and Tina Turner, Sly and the Family Stone, Malo, Pete Escovedo, Cream, Moby Grape, and more. David Ladd’s bands were one of the very first to perform what was then called Jazz-Rock, later named Fusion and, finally Contemporary Jazz. David’s bands also performed at jazz festivals sharing the stage with some of the greatest names in jazz such as: Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck, Chuck Mangione, Cal Tjader, Modern Jazz Quartet, Ramsey Lewis, Grover Washington, Jr., The Jazz Crusaders, Yellowjackets, Kenny Rankin, Hubert Laws, Kenny G., Woody Herman, Ray Charles, Hiroshima, Maynard Ferguson, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Dave Koz, to name a few… During the early 80’s, David led a band called David Ladd & Videojazz, which recorded two albums and received an Emmy for a P.B.S. Television Special. The record of this P.B.S. Special called David Ladd & Videojazz , in Concert at the Montgomery has just been released as a cd by Laddjazz Records. During this period, David recorded with Rosemary Clooney, Cal Tjader, Ray Brown, Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, and others for Concord Jazz Records. For the past 15 years, David Ladd has been one of the Bay Area’s premiere music educators. He was named Teacher-of–the–Year for the San Jose Unified School District in 1990. This was the first and only time this honor was given to a music teacher. David Ladd is the Music and Camp Director for the San Jose Jazz Society’s Summer Jazz Camp “Jazz Goes to College”. From 1990 to 1999, David Ladd was the Host and Musical Director for KEZR F.M. & 94.5 The Bay’s “Way Cool Sunday Morning Jazz” radio show, which was rated by Arbitron the #1 radio show of any kind on Sunday Mornings and the highest rated contemporary jazz radio show in the San Jose area. David is currently teaching music at Buchser Middle School in the Santa Clara Unified School District, where his concert and jazz band continuously receive the highest honors at contests and festivals. His jazz bands also record a cd each year. Two of the cd’s “ Blues in the Night” and “ A Jazz, Déjà vu, and me in Disneyland” are currently available from Jazzladd Records. David has been the leader of David Ladd’s Dowtown Allstars with Michael Renwick. which is a contemporary jazz band, made up of some of the premiere studio and club musicians in the Bay Area, which just released it’s 2nd cd entitled “Uptown” on Jazzladd Records. The band’s 1st cd. “ Downtown” , was in the top 10 and in heavy rotation on over 65 radio stations around the country. David Ladd’s Downtown Allstars perform widely at jazz and other festivals in Northern California as well as weddings, corporate events, and private functions throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
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David
Ladd’s Downtown Allstars with Michael Renwick
is a contemporary jazz band made up of the best recording and club musicians
in the greater San Jose and San Francisco Bay Area. David Ladd, who
has recorded Nationally with Rosemary Clooney, Cal Tjader, Ray Brown,
Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Jake Hanna, Norton Buffalo, Pat Ireland,
Pete Escovedo, Zach, and his own band David Ladd & Videojazz is
the leader of this world class contemporary jazz band playing flute
and saxes. David Ladd heads an exciting line-up of sings musicians that
includes Musical Director and Supervising Producer Michael Renwick a
well known National Salesman for Dean Markley Strings, on guitars and
lead and background vocals, popular Las Vegas Entertainer , Bobby Green
on drums, percussion, and lead vocals, recording artist, band leader,
and composer Steve Czarnecki on organ, organ bass, keyboards and vocals,
Andy Morales on drum set and lead and background vocals, Jon Rooff on
bass and lead and background vocals. David Ladd’s Downtown Allstars
with Michael Renwick plays and exciting mix of contemporary jazz styles.
Their sound is a unique blend of instrumental and vocal music combining
Jazz, Contemporary Jazz , Motown, R& B, Funk, Salsa, Raggae, Caribbean,
and Rock & Roll. David Ladd’s Downtown Allstars performed as
the house band for Mix 106.5 KEZR and 94.5 The Bay Radio Stations in
San Jose, California playing at many promotional functions in the greater
San Jose and San Francisco Bay Area. David Ladd’s Downtown Allstars
with Michael Renwick is an accessible Contemporary jazz band that both
first time jazz listenners and jazz afficianodos can enjoy and appreciate
can enjoy and appreciate, because of their outstanding vocal arrangements,
continuous, contageous rhythm, virtuoso musianship, and energetic performance
style.