By Claire Lew and Cathy Zaragoza

Two jazz ensembles under the direction of jazz teacher Shawn Costantino recorded sets of songs to submit to a contest held by popular jazz magazine Down Beat. The session took place Saturday at the Upper School. Costantino plans to enter the groups into jazz festivals, including the Monterrey Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

“These sorts of competitions are crucial for high school groups. If you are accepted to them it leads to lots of opportunities and honors for the students,” Costantino said. “Traditionally Harvard-Westlake has never entered any sort of competition and I think that there is no time like the present to get it started.”

The seven members of Isambo, named after pianist Isamu McGregor ’07, recorded the tracks “Round Midnight,” “Bolivia” and “Witch Hunt” from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The Jazz Explorers recorded the tracks “Gemini,” “Penthouse,” “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Song for my Doctor” from noon to 3 p.m. Pianist Jay Dockendorf ’07 arranged two of the four songs – “Song for my Doctor,” which was written for former jazz teacher Dr. Jerry Margolis, and “Bonnie and Clyde,” which was written for trumpet player Ian Sprague ’08’s mother.