Dayna Stephens House Jam

Dayna Stephens

Location
The Jazz House is located at 3192 Adeline Street in Berkeley, a half block southwest of the Ashby BART.  (Please note there is an incorrect Adeline Street in Oakland.)

The Jazz House is a small, non-descript warehouse located next to the police station where Martin Luther King and Adeline Street meet.  A blue light and a peculiar "Ant" sign reside above the entrance.

This weekly jazz jam is open to musicians of all ages and all levels.  Jazz fans are encouraged to join us to hear an awesome mixture of different musicians each week!

About The House Jam:
For music fans, this is a terrific way to see a rotating mix of some of the Bay Areas greatest jazz musicians.  For students, it's a wonderful opportunity to see music being created in a very organic manner, experiencing the fun of creating jazz.   For musicians, it's an amazing opportunity to network with other musicians in the Bay Area.

If you're a musician (all ages welcome!), bring your instrument.  If you're a music fan, bring your ears!

About Dayna Sean Stephens:
Dayna was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 1st, 1978 and was raised in the Bay Area.   His grandfather playing the saxophone inspired him to do the same.  He played the tenor sax for the first time at age 13.  He continued playing throughout the rest of his school years in jazz bands and orchestras. 

Dayna attended the prestigious Berkeley High School, which proved to help him in many ways.  It was there that he learned about an audition for the famous Berklee College of Music, a school he'd hoped to attend.  To his surprise, he won a full scholarship and attended there beginning in the spring of 1998.  He studied with many great teachers, including Hal Crook, George Garzone, Billy Pierce and Andy McGee.  While at Berklee, he also received the opportunity to play with Chick Corea and the Boston Pops for a PBS special.

It was at Berklee that Dayna learned about the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute, which offered a program for 5-8 young and gifted students to study for two years with some of the greatest names in jazz.  After finishing Berklee, he decided to audition for that program and a new jazz program offered at Julliard School of Music in New York.  He was accepted to attend both, choosing the Monk Institute in Los Angeles.  There he studied with Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard, Dave Holland, John Scofield, Larry Goldings, Russell Ferrante, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash, Carl Allen, Steve Turre, Mark Turner, Christian McBride, Billy Childs, Bob Hurst and Ralph Moore.

The Institute gave Dayna the opportunity to play and perform with most of these musicians, also performing with Herbie Hancock and Dave Grusin.   In addition, he has made a recording with the Institute featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard, which is due out in the fall (2003).