ONE GREAT aspect of studying with working jazz musicians is that one can go out and hear them gig and actually play or sing what they teach. Somewhat paralleling the Stanford Jazz Workshop's schedule, which runs July 16-Aug. 4 in three different segments, the Stanford Jazz Festival (SJF) starts on June 24 with an all-star post-Young Lions era concert at Dinkelspiel Auditorium with pianist Cyrus Chestnut's working trio and special guests Wycliffe Gordon (trombone) and Donald Harrison (saxophone).

Closing out the 2006 SJF is alto saxophone Phil Woods' Group, which includes SJW staff members Brian Lynch (trumpet), Stefan Karlsson (piano), Rodney Whitaker (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums). In between, there will be concerts headlined by the likes of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave (July 15); bassist Ruth Davies (July 16, Dinkelspiel); saxophonists Anton Schwartz (July 17) and Kristen Strom (July 19); guitarist André Bush with all-faculty band (July 20); violinist Regina Carter (July 22); pianist Taylor Eigsti and guitarist Julian Lange (July 23, Dinkelspiel); and pianist Rob Schneiderman's Quartet featuring drummer Tootie Heath (July 25).

Paster-Ryan-Hall (July 27) has roots that go back more than 10 years to the SJW, where pianist Bennett Paster and bassist Gregory Ryan first taught. Drummer Keith Hall joined the two in 2002, and a trio was formed. Masterful pianist Cedar Walton plays in two settings—solo (July 29) and trio at Dinkelspiel with bassist Tony Dumas and fellow SJW staffer Farnsworth.

All the players with the Heath Brothers band (July 30, Dinkelspiel)—Tootie Heath, saxophonist Jimmy Heath plus pianist Harold Mabern and bassist Joe Sanders—are serving on staff this summer, as are the trio of Goldings, Stewart & Bernstein (July 31, Dinkelspiel), organist-pianist Larry Goldings, drummer Bill Stewart and guitarist Peter Bernstein.

Saxophonist Eric Alexander's quartet (Aug. 1, Dinkelspiel) with Mabern, Whitaker and Farnsworth is equally 100 percent faculty. So, too, is the SJW All-Star Jam Session (Aug. 4, Dinkelspiel) with saxophonist Andrew Speight, pianist-vocalist Dena DeRose, vocalist Madeline Eastman, Jimmy Heath, Woods, Alexander, Lynch, Mabern, Karlsson, Whitaker and Farnsworth.

Other SJW staff folks can be heard playing at the aforementioned concerts, as well as during other ones throughout this year's SJF. That old saying about those who can't do teaching? Clearly set to be disproven time and again at this year's SJW.

The Stanford Jazz Festival happens June 24-Aug. 4. All concerts at Campbell Recital Hall unless otherwise noted. Tickets are available through Ticketweb or by calling 650.736.0324.

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