Jazz Band Classic is a 17-member brass-wind-and-percussion ensemble dedicated to studying, rehearsing, and performing classic big band jazz music. Modeled on the bands of the 1930's and 1940's, Jazz Band Classic preserves this heritage and, keeping with jazz traditions, incorporates it into the current and emerging styles that define the genre for the present generation.

Rehearsals
Jazz Band Classic rehearses Monday evenings from 7:00-9:30pm in Manhattan, at Carroll Studios, 55th Street between West End and 12th Avenues.

Performances
Jazz Band Classic presents eight performances during the 2007-08 season: three at the Garage, two at Symphony Space, and the final performance in the Allen Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center with Joe Lovano.

Clinics
Throughout the season, rehearsals are augmented by masterclass clinics with some of today's most eminent jazz professionals. This season's clinicians will include:

Mike Holober, piano
Marvin Stamm, trumpet
Benny Powell, saxophone
Gene Aitken, bass

Guest Artists
Jazz Band Classic has featured soloists such as Victor Goines, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Joe Locke, Eric Reed, Lew Soloff, Gary Smulyan, and Frank Wess, giving students a chance to play alongside todays most exciting professional musicians.

To request an auditions brochure, click here.

Chris Winans, Music Director
Chris Winans opens the fifth season of Jazz Band Classic as the 17-member band’s new director. An active performer and educator, he is the jazz trumpet instructor at Westfield State College in Westfield, MA, and performs regularly throughout the Northeast. Prior to relocating to New York, Mr. Winans was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Northern Colorado where he directed the UNC Jazz Lab Band II and the UNC Salsa Band. In 2005 and 2006, he played lead trumpet and was the featured soloist with UNC Jazz Lab Band I, a group which won the DownBeat Magazine Award for "Best College Big Band" both years. In the same years, Mr. Winans was a finalist in the National Trumpet Competition in Fairfax, Virginia. He received his B.M.E. and M.M. in Performance from the University of Northern Colorado.

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