WBGO's Jazz Appreciation Month 2025: CUNY's BMCC Jazz Ensemble
Students from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) award-winning jazz music program recently recorded as part of WBGO's annual celebration of the next generation of musicians in the jazz world. Their performance at Yamaha Artist Services wonderful Manhattan facility was part of WBGO's educational community outreach and now wraps up Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). You can hear the music from their session thru Wednesday this week during Day Break with Gary Walker and Drive Time with Brian Delp.
Under the direction of Dr. Quentin Angus, the Program Coordinator of Jazz & Popular Music, and Ensemble Director Can Olgun, the music majors at BMCC can choose from different specializations, including music studies, music education, performance, and Jazz and Popular music. While many of the students pursue further education at one of CUNY’s senior colleges, those graduating with a music degree from BMCC have been admitted to and/or awarded full scholarships at prestigious private universities and colleges. The BMCC motto of "start here, go anywhere" rings true within their music department.
The 2025 lineup of the ensemble is as follows, and they performed the following compositions:
Songs:
Molasses (Hiatus Kaiyote)
Jazz Crimes (Joshua Redman)
Hosanna (Kirk Franklin)
Performers:
Voice:
Jasmina Daniello
Shaina Louis
Owen Sheehan
Saxophone:
Charlie Parra
Kingston Ma
Malcolm Best
Guitar:
Brian Donahue
Elias Solomon
Keys:
Gabriel Kerolle
Bass:
Charles Street
Amaree Bowen
Drums:
Jaden Shafe
Temitope Idowu