Juilliard Jazz Ensembles | Federal Government and States' Rights: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton and

Program information:

The Juilliard Jazz Small Ensembles celebrate two foundational figures whose creativity helped define the language of early jazz—a language filled with character, emotion, and, above all, swing. Cornetist Joe “King” Oliver was a bandleader and mentor to Louis Armstrong; pianist, composer, and arranger Jelly Roll Morton demonstrated that a style rooted in improvisation could retain its essential elements when notated. As composers, one gave their collaborators more musical freedom, while the other wanted all musicians to simply “cut the dots,” or play exactly what the composer wrote.

Dave Brubeck Ensemble
Ulysses Owens, Coach

Nicklas Caldwell, Tenor Saxophone
Gustavo Cruz, Tenor Saxophone
Al Romanillos, Trumpet
Grace Rock, Trombone
Nathan Mesler, Vibraphone
William Schwartzman, Piano
Daniel Song, Bass
Max Simas, Drums

Max Roach Ensemble
Charenee Wade, Coach

Miriam Goroff-Behel, Alto Saxophone
Connor MacLeod, Tenor Saxophone
Nathaniel Williford, Trumpet
Luke Ramee, Trombone
Blake Slaughter, Guitar
José André Montaño, Piano
Ahmed McLemore, Bass
Vinton Hines, Drums

The seven Juilliard Jazz Ensembles are each named after a jazz legend, Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, and Jelly Roll Morton among them. Throughout the season, these ensembles perform music by a wide range of artists including their respective namesakes, alongside original works and arrangements by ensemble members, embodying the history and interconnectedness of these legends and jazz universally.

The named ensembles and their coaches:  

Dave Brubeck Ensemble, in the spirit of integrating the arts, coached by Jennifer Krupa

Betty Carter Ensemble, in the spirit of scatting, musical freedom, and reimagination, coached by Donald Vega

Dizzy Gillespie Ensemble, in the spirit of innovation, dance, Afro-Latin music, humor, and teaching, coached by Elio Villafranca

Jelly Roll Morton Ensemble, in the spirit of interpreting the original meanings of jazz, coached by Doug Wamble

Max Roach Ensemble, in the spirit of Civil Rights experimentation and understanding of the African Diaspora, coached by Isaiah J. Thompson

Mary Lou Williams Ensemble, in the spirit of stride piano, arranging, and intellectual discourse about music techniques and meaning, coached by Bruce Williams

Duke Ellington Ensemble (Artist Diploma Ensemble), in the spirit of being ambassadors to the world, coached by Ben Wolfe