The Jazz Workshop Orchestra from the Denver School of the Arts traveled to New York City May 21 – 25 as one of 15 bands chosen to compete in the 2004 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Competition and Festival at Avery Fisher Hall in the famed Lincoln Center complex. The “JWO” was chosen from among a field of 102 bands that competed from around the United States.

The festival, under the direction of Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, is in its ninth season. It’s considered nationally as one of the most prestigious high school music events of its kind. This is the second time Denver School of the Arts has been selected as a finalist of this amazing event; the first time was in 1999.

In the months preceding the trip, the students, parents and faculty worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to participate in this event. Through an extensive letter writing campaign, CD sales, concerts, silent auction and other performances the band raised more than $20,000.

The band prepared musically as well. On March 23, Ron Carter, head of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University and Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington clinician, visited DSA to give an all-day clinic to the JWO. These workshops were geared to prepare the finalist bands as much as possible before traveling to New York.

Although the trip encompassed five days, only two of those days could be spent exploring the city. The first official event of the festival began in the rowdy atmosphere of Times Square at the renowned BB King Jazz and Blues Club, where DSA students met all the other finalists and participated in a question and answer session with Wynton Marsalis. Sight-reading workshops were next, followed by a jam session with students from all bands including members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

The next day included a workshop/rehearsal with LCJO trombonist Andre Hayward and a jazz on film and history session with jazz educator and consultant Loren Schoenberg. Both sessions were held at the famed Juilliard School of Music followed by the start of the competition with the first seven bands performing on stage at Avery Fisher Hall.

Some of the most powerful high school instrumental music programs in the nation are represented at this festival. This is clearly evident as the performances roll along – featuring many amazingly accomplished student players. Not only are the departments well financed and staffed, many of the directors described districts that are fully arts supported, enabling strong feeder programs at the elementary and middle school levels.

The Jazz Workshop Orchestra performed last among all the groups at the festival on Monday, May 24. The order of performance was predetermined by lottery. Although the band was not selected to be in the top five (1st, 2nd, 3rd places with 2 honorable mentions) the band performed well, displaying a sense of swing, style, improvisation and maturity beyond the years of its members, said Director Dave Hammond.

DSA trombonist Miles Fielder accepted an Outstanding Soloist Award. After the awards ceremony the students watched a concert by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in which next year’s contest selections and 15-year old Italian alto sax phenomenon Francisco Cafisco were featured.

The DSA-JWO explored New York like the locals, by foot and by city subways and busses, throughout the stay. The students had the opportunity to see two sets by illustrious tenor saxophonist Chris Potter and group at the venerable Village Vanguard, dine in Little Italy, visit the site of the World Trade Center, take an extensive tour of the United Nations and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, shop at Macys and at Times Square, walk through Central Park and eat hot dogs at Gray’s Papaya. “Although competing with some of the best student musicians in the country was a thrill, the deepest experience for the students seemed to be getting to know New York as one of the greatest places on earth,” said Hammond.

Denver School of the Arts is located at 7111 Montview Blvd. For more information, please call 303-321-9435.