Guest Speaker
Helen Borgers, KKJZ Radio Host

October 31, 2009 marked Helen’s 30th Anniversary on the air at KKJZ (formerly KLON). During this time she has hosted several different daily shows, and for over ten years she hosted The Artist’s Corner, a 3-hour interview-and-music show. She is also now hosting an hour interview-and-music program called “Sittin’ In With Helen,” which is being aired on NPR stations across the country, and features both veteran and up-and-coming jazz musicians. In 2006, the L.A. Jazz Society gave Helen its Jazz Communicator of the Year award. In 2007, the Long Beach Arts Council presented Helen with its Distinguished Arts Professional award.

Guest Artist
Charlie Peterson, Trumpet

Charlie’s professional carrier began in 1986 when he toured with The Buddy Rich Orchestra. Through the years he has toured with Woody Herman, Paul Anka, the Henry Mancini Orchestra, Sun Records in Montreaux (with Brian May, Jimmy Paige, Robert Plant and others) and currently with The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Local performances include Kenny Rogers, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, Santana, Prince, and many others. Charlie has added his talents to the recordings of many artists including Tom Kubis, the Pacific Jazz Orchestra, Hector Manuel, Dr. Dre, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. Television appearances include Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, American Idol, the Today Show, Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting, and Dancing with the Stars. Charlie performed with The Brian Setzer Orchestra at The White House for President Bush, and recorded the music for Aretha Franklin’s “My County ‘Tis of Thee” performed at President Obama’s inauguration.

Honored Guest
Buddy Collette, Jazz Legend

Buddy Collette, a tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist from the Watts district of Los Angeles, was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums. Inspired by professional musicians who came to his school to talk about the music profession, Collette took up the saxophone at age 12 and began playing professionally at age 17. Along with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, bassist Charles Mingus, and drummer Chico Hamilton, he helped keep bebop alive in Los Angeles' historic Central Avenue neighborhood. In the early 1950s he worked as a studio musician and became the first African American musician to perform on television on Groucho Marx's program, You Bet Your Life.

With numerous albums in his discography, Collette has enjoyed a career that spanned decades. An accomplished saxophonist, bandleader and composer, Buddy is also a noteworthy educator. Believing firmly in the principle that young musicians should be educated by professionals, Collette co-founded JazzAmerica, a non-profit organization for the purpose of perpetuating the jazz tradition by educating young musicians in musicianship, ensemble playing, sight-reading, soloing and music theory.