The Dos Pueblos Jazz Choir--from Goleta, California--features big-band style vocal jazz.. The full choir is unusally large for jazz groups, offering a dramatic richness, dynamics, and versatility. Emphasizing swing and bebop styles, the choir features impressive soloists deftly improvising around the melody. A sizzling combo of brass, woodwind, and rhythm instruments enhances the group's captivating performances. Smaller ensembles of choir members offer delightful music for more intimate settings.

In addition to many public shows, the choir and combo entertain at private and corporate events. Please contact us for your entertainment needs and tax-deductible donations.

This 25-voice choir and 6-member combo is considered to be one of the most skilled jazz groups in the nation at the high school or college level. For the last five years, they have scored a superior rating at every festival in which they participated; Reno, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Cuesta College, North Texas, North Sea in the Netherlands, Umbria in Italy, and Montreux in Switzerland. Following acclaimed European tours in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007, they are planning to return in 2009.

Brian Slotnick-Lastrico is the choir's Director. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brian received singing and acting training while attending Carnegie-Mellon University, and subsequently, the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute as part of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Classically trained vocally, Brian has sung in a wide variety of styles including opera, jazz, Broadway, pop, and rock. Locally, Brian has been seen as a guest artist for the Santa Barbara Performing Arts Foundation, with jazz legends Peter Clark, Roger Kellaway and Joe Bushkin at The Granada Theatre, with Jane Russell and Peter Clark as a featured jazz performer as part of “Young At Heart” at the Lobero Theatre, as part of the “Opera Under The Stars” series at Sullivan-Goss Arts and Letters Café under the direction of Rene Hamaty, the University Club, as a featured performer in the West Coast Premiere of Francine Feldmann’s “Helena Grapevine” at Center Stage Theatre, and as a featured performer on the original cast recording for an upcoming original Broadway musical by multi-platinum, award-winning composer, Linda Laurie. Brian has studied voice with Charlotte Black, John Kuhn, Agatha Danoff (M.A., Juilliard), as well as piano with Young Kim (M.A., Juilliard). Brian is also a guitarist, songwriter, arranger and composer who has produced his own cd. Since receiving his Masters degree in Education at UCLA in 1994, Brian has taught both in California and Washington, at Mercer Island High School, where he served as lead clinician for their nationally recognized, award winning jazz ensemble, symphonic band, and concert band. Prior to accepting the position of Vocal Music Director of Dos Pueblos High School, he served as Department Chair of Performing Arts at La Colina Junior High School where he taught theatre and musical theatre to seventh and eighth graders. Some of his directing credits include: A Chorus Line, Oliver!, The Will Rogers’ Follies, Hello, Dolly!, Kiss Me, Kate, Annie, Guys and Dolls, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Brian was honored as one of only 2% of teachers nationwide selected twice for inclusion in Who’s Who Among American Teachers , and is a member of The International Association for Jazz Educators, American Choral Directors Association, Southern California Vocal Association, Califonia Music Educators Association, and Music Educators National Convention. Most recently, in the summer of 2006, Brian completed post-graduate studies in choral conducting at The Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied choral conducting with Judith Clurman, head of the choral program at Juilliard, along with voice from Candace Goetz, (faculty, Westminster Choir College), Alexander Technique with Jessica Wolf (faculty, Yale University)., and vocal/dramatic interpretation with Thomas Cabaniss (faculty, The Juilliard School).

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