This year, as part of our dedication to featuring great student groups alongside world-class jazz talents at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Jazz Winter Fest presented by Metro, we will be bringing our Next Gen programming to the heart of downtown’s SoFA District. During the final weekend of San Jose Jazz Winter Fest, the top student jazz combos in the region will be showcased over two full afternoons at Cafe Stritch, a venue that has previously hosted SJZ events with Pedrito Martinez, Denise Perrier and Houston Person, Charnett Moffett and Sean Jones. All SJZ Next Gen performances are free and open to the public. The San Jose Jazz U19s performance on March 5 will be a celebration of sorts for both the U19s and SJZ's High School All Stars, who were recently selected as finalists in the Conglomerate High School division at the 2016 Monterey Next Gen Jazz Festival. As All Stars director, Dr. Aaron Lington, wrote on Facebook earlier in the month, the announcement is "a HUGE deal as this festival is easily in the top two or three competitive jazz festivals on the west coast . . . As a longtime adjudicator for this festival in the past, I’m looking forward to being on the 'other side' this time around.” Hear what’s cooking just down the road from Stritch when the Lincoln Jazz Combo comprised of students from Lincoln High School, open up Saturday’s festivities at 2pm. The group has previously performed at Disneyland, and the University of Colorado at Boulder, and they were recently selected by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to represent California in the 2016 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC. They are currently fundraising for the trip -- click here to donate toward their efforts. The Lincoln Jazz Band will be followed by the eight-piece SFJAZZ High School All Stars combo. Directed by saxophonist and educator Dann Zinn, this small ensemble is designed to mirror the renowned SFJAZZ Collective. You can preview their set by listening to tracks on the group’s SoundCloud. We close out our Saturday next gen programming with Cupertino’s own Homestead High School Jazz Combo. Founded in 1974, the ensemble has been led by John Burn, a Homestead jazz alum, since 1991. Homestead's ensemble has earned high marks at the CMEA Jazz Festival and Reno Jazz Festival; they've also had the opportunity to perform internationally, appearing as part of festivals in Australia and Japan. After Homestead High’s performance, grab a bite to eat but don’t go far – trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg returns to Stritch for a 7pm performance. The JC Smith Blues Guitar Slingers, a South Bay all star blues blowout, will lay down some red-hot licks from 9pm until midnight. Sunday's performances will be  South Bay centric, with sets from the Los Gatos High School Jazz Combo, the San Jose State University Jazz Combo and the San Jose Jazz U19s. The Los Gatos High School Combo performs at school and community events as well as adjudicated festivals, appearing as part of the Reno Jazz Festival when it is not set to tour internationally. SJSU's combo performance at 3pm will provide a glimpse into the great work happening in the school's Jazz Studies program, which is led by High School All Stars Director, Dr. Aaron Lington. The combo is led by John Shifflett, one of the area's most celebrated jazz bassists. The SJZ U19s will be followed that evening by vocalist Jackie Ryan, whose set will pay tribute to Duke Ellington. Our Sunday programming concludes with the Eulipions Jazz Jam Session, followed two days later by our Winter Fest closing performance featuring a sold out performance by NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis. If you haven't picked up your tickets yet, click here for tickets to SJZ Winter Fest 16. You can see a full run-down of featured Winter Fest 16 performances on our Winter Fest page.