RHS Jazz Band Makes Finals for Essentially Ellington Festival Again in 2021!
Seattle’s Roosevelt High School Jazz Band has made the finals of the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Festival for the 21st time in 23 years. The festival will be held virtually June 4-5.
Perhaps even more astonishing, thanks to COVID-19, this year’s Roosevelt band has never once played together as a unit and band director Scott Brown has never seen the students play as a band. “It’s crazy,” said Brown, who was elated when he received the news Friday afternoon. “Everything was done in their homes.” Through the magic of digital audio, individual tracks were overlaid, starting with the rhythm section, which did play together in person, in a safe, socially distanced setting, said Brown. Over the next three weeks, the saxophone, trumpet, trombone parts and solos were added and mixed with the help of an engineer who specializes in such work. (From the Seattle Times)
More great sounds from past RHS Jazz Ensembles
