Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced the 10 university jazz programs that will be competing in the second annual Jack Rudin Jazz Championship. The JRJC is a tribute to the legacy of Jack Rudin, longtime JALC supporter who helped establish Essentially Ellington, the organization’s signature education program.
Ensembles performing in the competition will be from: Brigham Young University, California State University Fullerton, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Michigan State University College of Music, North Carolina Central University, Temple University, University of Kansas, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The Championship will be held over two days — January 10 and 11, 2022 — and will encompass a combo showcase, two rounds of competition and a final round at the Rose Theater which will also include a concert by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Judges are: pianist Ayn Inserto, saxophonist/vocalist Camille Thurman, drummer Jeff Hamilton, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, who is JALC’s Managing and Artistic Director.
Three of Jersey Jazz Magazine’s recent Rising Stars studied at one of the competing schools: trumpeter Danny Jonokuchi (March 2021) attended Temple; guitarist Jocelyn Gould (April 2021) studied at Michigan State; and pianist Sean Mason (October 2021) attended North Carolina Greensboro.