Under the leadership of Dr. John Calloway, a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who has worked at the creative edge of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene since the 1970s, the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble is an invaluable proving ground for stellar young musicians. Living up to vaunted expectations, these high school players collaborate with legends like Armando Peraza, Jerry Gonzalez, and John Santos, and write and arrange their own material, tunes documented on three highly regarded recordings (most recently Con Mis Manos). While LJYE graduate Daniel Riera fronts San Francisco’s exciting Soltron, others are tearing up the New York music scene (such as trombonist Natalie Cressman, flutist Elena Pinderhughes, and drummer Charlie Ferguson). The Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble is the resident youth company of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.