The Juilliard Jazz Duke Ellington Ensemble consists of the most experienced student performers of the program and is led by jazz double bassist/composer Ben Wolfe. The group’s artistic premise is to embrace jazz as an ensemble music, valuing group interaction and individuality as catalysts for creation. The ensemble sound is informed by the jazz continuum and its own members’ contemporary influences and original compositions. This semester at Juilliard’s Paul Hall, the quintet, consisting of members Francesco Cafiso (alto saxophone), Joel Wenhardt (piano), James Zito (guitar), Raul Reyes (bass), and John Sturino (drums), performed "Chorinho pra ele" by Hermeto Pascoal as part of the program, which we present on WBGO this week as part of our annual Jazz Appreciation Month celebration. Listen to that performance, above.
Meanwhile, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra recently performed “The Music of Charles Mingus,” which was recorded live at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City and conducted by Tatum Greenblatt. The ensemble presented Mingus’ “Invisible Lady”, with a featured performance by vocal soloist Nicole Odremán, (MM ‘24), Additional soloists are Jasim Perales (trombone soloist, MM ’23), and James Haddad (trumpet soloist, MM ’23).
And over at Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater, the Orchestra presented another concert: "21st Century Compositions for Jazz Orchestra" conducted by Darcy James Argue. One lush piece from that performance was "Sea of Clouds" by Tracy Yang, featuring student saxophone soloist Abdias Armenteros (MM '23).
Juilliard’s Jazz program is led by Juilliard alumnus, trumpeter and composer, Wynton Marsalis and Dr. Aaron Flagg. Learn more about the program here.
Listen to WBGO three times daily weekdays (11:55am, 6:55pm and 10:55pm) to hear songs from these concerts, and more to come into early May as we continue to present performances of ensembles from the jazz programs at William Paterson University, and New York University still to come in celebration of music education for Jazz Appreciation Month.
Funding for this series was made possible by a generous grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.