Our People
Artistic Directors
Barry Cogert
Barry, a founding member and bassist for Willie Aames and Paradise, has toured nationally and appeared on several TV shows. He earned his BA in music performance from CSULB, representing the college at the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals. Over 25 years, he has performed at Disneyland, the Crystal Cathedral's Hour of Power, and numerous Southern California nightclubs. An experienced arranger, Barry has recorded multiple albums and arranges music for Jazz Angels students.
Albert Alva
Albert directs jazz ensembles at Chapman University, performs at Disneyland, and arranges for the Jazz Angels. He has worked with Barbara Morrison, Louie Bellson, and Clark Terry, toured with The Color Purple, and played on Rosemary Clooney's Grammy-nominated Sentimental Journey.
Instructors
Victor Ochoa
Victor Ochoa earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music in 2022. He is currently a music instructor at Jazz Angels, where he arranges music and leads jazz workshops, guiding students in the development of their musical abilities.
Brandon Baker
Brandon Baker, a multi-instrumentalist from Long Beach, CA, started playing flute at 10 and by 16, performed as a principal flutist at the Sydney Opera House. He later added guitar and saxophone to his repertoire. With a degree in Jazz Studies from Cal State Long Beach, he now teaches music, freelances, and leads the Jazz Baker Band.
Crystal Holloway
Crystal Holloway has over 15 years of concert and marching percussion experience, performing in various theater and orchestra productions. She recently toured Europe with Dirty Cello and continues to perform with them. A UCLA graduate in music performance under Mitchell Peters, she also holds an M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis, shaping her personalized teaching approach.
Maile Hutchinson
Maile Hutchinson has been performing and teaching violin for over 10 years. She began studying music at Long Beach City College and earned a B.A. from Thomas Edison State University. Through gypsy jazz festivals, private lessons, and countless live performances, Maile has gained an immense appreciation for the sound a violin can produce and will continue to learn and grow as long as she is able. Her preferred style to play is swing jazz.
Glenn Holdaway
Glenn Holdaway is a Los Angeles-based trumpet player, composer, and arranger influenced by a deep appreciation for reggae, jazz, and funk. He has played on Grammy-nominated albums, in Super Bowl commercials, and at venues like the Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks Amphitheater. Glenn began his musical journey with Jazz Angels when he was in 7th grade and aims to inspire students in the same way Barry and Albert inspired him.
Max Lara
Max Lara teaches in the first Mariachi program in Long Beach Unified School District. His musical journey began with the violin in middle school, and evolved as he practiced regional Mexican music such as mariachi. While in high school he joined a local mariachi band where he learned mariachi armonía instruments such as the guitar and vihuela. Max is passionate about preserving and growing mariachi culture for future generations.
Eliot Shneider is a Jazz/classical/contemporary bassist and string specialist based in Orange County, California with a wealth of knowledge in music history and style he can emulate a wide arrange of styles while still sounding grounded in his voice. He currently Studies at Fullerton Community College and has his GED From Orange County School of the Arts and some credits from Chapman University.
Eliot Shneider
Michael Wise has been playing drums for 24 years. He received his Bachelor’s from Cal State Dominguez Hills in Music Performance, as well as his Master’s Degree at Cal State Long Beach. The reason he chose Jazz Angels is to share his passion and love of music with everyone, and to teach and cultivate the students of the future.
Michael Wise
Staff
Rebekah Woofter
Rebekah started out with the Jazz Angels as a student playing bass back in 2014. Now recently having graduated university, she works with the Jazz Angels to prepare students for performances, set up and tear down gear, and assists with the organization and preparation of sheet music.
Candice Clark-Mansoor
Candice Clark-Mansoor is a Development and Grant Writing Intern with Jazz Angels, where she combines her passion for the arts with her expertise in writing and communication. As an English major and ASI Commissioner for Women and Gender Equity at CSULB, she is committed to fostering inclusive and creative environments for young artists. Candice is excited to support Jazz Angels’ mission through grant writing and community engagement.
