Community Music School (CMS) will present a jazz concert by the CMS Jazz Ensemble and guitar master class focusing on early and modern jazz styles in January. The concert will take place on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Centerbrook Meetinghouse, 51 Main Street. The CMS Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Tom Briggs, will perform standards and modern jazz selections. The ensemble features students aged 13 to 17.

The guitar master class will take place on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. at CMS, 90 Main Street, Centerbrook. Led by faculty member Kevin O'Neil, Ph.D., the class will focus on the blues and blues progression in jazz. O'Neil will introduce beginning to intermediate guitarists to jazz improvisation, style, and harmony through a close examination of the blues and its use as the foundation for early and modern jazz styles. Examples and techniques from jazz greats will be covered, and the use of the blues progression as a basis for other standards and tunes will be explored. A jam session will conclude the master class.

All events are free and open to the public. Reservations are requested for the master class and can be made by calling 860-767-0026.

CMS offers music programming for infants through adults, building on a 30-year tradition of providing quality music instruction to residents of shoreline communities. CMS programs cultivate musical ability and creativity and provide students with a thorough understanding of music so that they can enjoy playing and listening for their entire lives. For more information, visit

www.community-music-school.org.