FVCC hosts jazz master class at Snappy's

On Tuesday, Flathead Valley residents will have the rare opportunity to observe a master class taught by elite jazz musicians Erica von Kleist and Don Caverly during the Flathead Valley Community College’s Jazz Ensemble class.

The class meets weekly to practice together and learn jazz theory and improvisation. Instructor Sky Thoreson attended college at Whitworth University in Spokane, where he studied jazz extensively and earned his bachelor’s degree in classical trombone performance.

Thoreson’s hope for the ensemble is to enhance the Flathead Valley community’s appreciation for jazz. Bringing big-name jazz musicians to the area ties in directly with that goal, which is why he decided to open the master class to the community.

“I don’t want to limit this experience to just the students in the class.  Anyone interested in jazz should be able to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity,” he said.

Thoreson says he couldn’t be more excited for the jazz ensemble, which just started last fall, explaining that even very prestigious national music programs are pleased when they can have someone as talented as von Kleist teach a master class.

“I am thrilled for my students to have this opportunity to learn from Erica von Kleist, and having Don Caverly join her is a huge bonus,” he said. “This is a rare opportunity to observe and interact with musicians of this caliber. This won’t be an experience any of us will soon forget.”

Saxophonist and flautist von Kleist has begun to make her mark in the New York jazz scene as one of the most in-demand young musicians in the city, performing and recording with Wynton Marsalis, Chris Potter, Sean Jones, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, DIVA, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, and the Grammy-winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

A talented graduate of the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton School of Music, Caverly is a multi-instrumentalist experienced in all styles of music, most notably jazz. While studying percussion and bass, he performed and studied with renowned musicians such as Vincent Falcone, Claudio Roditi, Russel Malone, Roy Hargrove, Mark Kerry and John Stowell. After college, Caverly played in show bands and jazz trios for several luxury cruise lines. He currently resides in Whitefish, where he plays with Andre Floyd and Mood Iguana, HumanLab and Big Daddy and the Blue Notes.

The master class is free and open to the public. It starts at 5 p.m. at Snappy Sport Senter in Kalispell.

For more information about the master class or the jazz ensemble, contact Thoreson at (406) 548-2636 or sthoreson@fvcc.edu.