If there is any concern among jazz enthusiasts that big band swing is in danger of dying out among the younger generations of musicians, the sights and sounds of this year’s 30th Essentially Ellington competition in New York should put that concern to rest. Created in the 1995-1996 season by Wynton Marsalis, director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) big band, Essentially Ellington selects the top high school jazz bands from across the country (from their submitted videos and recordings) to compete and present their musical chops on songs from a list of compositions written or arranged by the festival’s legendary namesake, Duke Ellington.
The annual event takes place at the JALC’s “House of Swing” home on Columbus Circle, which opened in 2004. Housed above The Shops at Columbus Circle mall in the Deutsche Bank Center, the House of Swing is a beautiful, contemporary layout of auditoriums, the elegant jazz club Dizzy’s, a spacious atrium, and photo-op areas complete with large screens for closed-circuit live feeds of the events in progress, and more.
This year, for the big 30th anniversary, Essentially Ellington invited thirty bands to participate, twice as many as usual. Three of the bands were international guests from Australia, Japan, and, from Barcelona, the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, from whose perspective we’ll recount the activities of the festival, which took place May 7-11.
The Sant Andreu Jazz Band has been steadily earning its international reputation from humble beginnings back in 2006, when its founder and director Joan Chamorro, then a music teacher at Escola Municipal de Musica Sant Andreu, decided to assemble a band for young music students to learn and play classic jazz—primarily Dixieland at first—before the group grew into a full-size big band ans its smaller side combos, expanding its music repertoire to include swing, Brazilian bossa nova, be-bop, and other related genres. In the intervening years, the SAJB has released dozens of CDs, posted over a thousand videos on YouTube, performed on concert tours across Europe, and has seen a growing following online. Through the years, several of its musicians—most notably Andrea Motis and Rita Payes—have become among the most sought-after in Europe and beyond.
Even with such stellar credentials, the SAJB, a non-profit entity with no consistent financial sponsorship, and reliant mostly on concert tickets and CD sales to stay afloat, may have been seen as an underdog of sorts at EE, amid the throngs of American high school bands. It’s worth noting that some of the SAJB musicians are still barely of high school age.
But the band does have some history with Marsalis and the JALC orchestra, who visited Barcelona in February of 2020 to play at the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival at the Palau de la Musica. The SAJB performed three selections as the opening band. One of the numbers they performed was Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady,” which a few months later served the purpose a of representing the SAJB for the 25th Essentially Ellington (due to the Covid pandemic that year, the participating bands could only submit their performances via video). Alba Esteban’s rendition of the original Harry Carney baritone sax solo earned her an Honorable Mention from the judges. In addition, the band won Outstanding Rhythm Section, while the Outstanding Alto Sax award went to Joan Marti, and Outstanding Trumpet awarded to Elsa Armengou.
(photo by Garry Berman)
As for 2025, Todd Stoll, vice-president of Education for JALC and de facto master of ceremonies, expressed his joy with the expanded program for Essentially Ellington this year.
“Doubling the size of the festival created an almost unbelievable feeling of love and support in the House of Swing,” he said. “Schools cheering for each other and standing ovations for each performance, it was very moving and is an example of the power of music to break down barriers across nearly every division that the media speaks of on a daily basis. Also, the excellence exhibited by our young people at this event is unprecedented in jazz. To have this many kids playing at such a high level-addressing harmony, swing, blues, creative approaches to soloing, some of the most challenging repertoire in the canon, is a testament to the achievements of music education in their individual communities and those communities’ investment in such.”
Chamorro expressed his appreciation for being a part of the event. “We are really more than happy with the whole experience we had in New York. Just the fact that we were invited to participate in this 30th edition of the Essentially Ellington was incredible. Most of the young musicians had never been to New York. There was a lot of expectation for the city itself and of course for the festival.”
The day before Round 1 of the competition consisted of band rehearsals and opportunities for the musicians to meet each other during breaks and meals. The first highlight, the Cheer Tunnel, resembled those of football games, with each band descending a stairway to the deafening cheers of friends, parents, and EE staff lined on each side of the red-carpeted corridor.
Shortly afterward, Marsalis led a Q&A session for the competing bands in the 1,200-seat Rose Auditorium. Those eager to ask questions for him and/or the JALC musicians (who later performed a few numbers) stood patiently in line along each aisle of the orchestra to pose their questions, many of which were rather philosophical in nature. Time ran out before all had their chance to step up to the mic, but Marsalis stressed two main ideas, to be echoed by other EE musicians, officials, and judges throughout the following few days: firstly, he implored the young musicians to think of the event more as a festival rather than as a competition. And, related to that, he encouraged them to make the effort to meet each other and share their experiences, musical tastes and goals, and the overall enjoyment they feel playing jazz. “Get to know each other. You will be seeing each other again many times through the years.” The kids took the advice to heart—not that they needed any prodding—as they mingled, talked, and shared meals throughout the week.
With so many bands in the competition, the next day, Thursday, saw Round 1 take place simultaneously in both the Rose Auditorium and Appel Room, another striking auditorium with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind the stage, directly overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park South.
The bands were each allotted 18 minutes to play three selections, and each unit displayed their skills with impressive, even surprising, polish and energy. Some selections were designed to blast the audience with high voltage swing, others focused on more subdued tones. Soloists gave it their best to make memorable impressions. “Kids play much better now than in the early days of EE,” Marsalis said, “so much better as the years have been going on.”
For Round 1, the SAJB performed the swinging Cootie Williams piece “The Opener,” followed by “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ but the Blues,” popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and led here by superb vocalist Claudia Rostey, and closed with Ellington’s “The Giddybug Gallop.” Each selection included a string of solos perfected by the musicians over endless hours of rehearsals and keeping a busy schedule of live gigs, including the Blues Festival Basel in Switzerland in April. Stand-out solos included those by saxophonists Lona Peñaranda, Koldo Munné, and Bernat Benavente, and trumpeters Marti Costalago and Gerard Peñaranda.
The judging committees then had the task of paring down the bands moving on to Round 2 to only ten. As parents and friends of the SAJB kids waited in anticipation, watching the screen in the photo-op lounge, they heard at least 7 or 8 other bands announced. Finally, with the name of the SAJB called out, the tension exploded with cheers and unabandoned jubilation that the band did indeed make the cut. After the musicians filed out of the auditorium, the joy at their accomplishment to that point made for an extended gathering of congratulations and hugs all around.
Chamorro confesses, “I had my doubts about being able to go through to the second phase, because all the big bands sounded really good. When they called us last as having made it to the 10 finalists, I cried with joy.”
Saturday’s Round 2 had the ten remaining bands return to play in the Rose Auditorium. The SAJB performed “Black Beauty” with its jaunty tempo for which Chamorro featured the band’s younger musicians, including 13-year-olds Jordi Bosch on trombone, and Marti Costalago on trumpet. The band then repeated “I Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues,” and, as Chamorro joked, “For the closing song, we’ll play ‘The Opener’.”
(photo by Garry Berman)
Following the round, another nerve-wracking wait followed as the judges deliberated. The 6:00 p.m. announcement then named the Top 3 Finalists (in no particular order, as Marsalis pointed out): The Osceola County School for the Arts from Kissimmee, Florida, directed by Jason Anderson; The Memphis Central High School (Memphis, Tennessee), directed by Ollie Liddell; and—perhaps to the elated surprise of many -The Sant Andreu Jazz Band. Each was undeniably worthy of reaching the final round.
“I think we played really well in both he first and second phases, Chamorro says, “giving space, in the new song of the second phase, to the youngest members of the SAJB. I was generally convinced that we had done the best possible. The 10 big bands sounded super good, so going to the fine was really complicated. But when they mentioned our name among the three chosen, I was quite impressed. The musicians and families were jumping for joy.”
The final concert and awards ceremony took place at the landmark Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center, just five blocks up Broadway from the House of Swing at Columbus Circle. There, the three finalist bands played only two numbers each. The SAJB went with the Ellington/Strayhorn “Isfahan” for their opening number, featuring solos by saxophonist Sander Theuns, JALC baritone saxophonist Paul Nedzela, and pianist Pau Garcia. Claudia Rostey again infused her energy into “I Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues,” enhanced by trumpeter Gerard Penaranda’s powerful lead-out for the final chorus.
But Chamorro is willing to offer a critical self-assessment. “I decided to perform ‘I Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues” because there wasn’t a song sung in the whole concert. Neither the two finalist bands nor the Lincoln Center band. But I think I got the timing wrong. We should have done it twice as slow. I set it too fast and I lost the intention of having a relaxing moment full of blues and swing, with the two songs we performed. But in the end, it’s the decision I made and that’s it. I think it sounded really good, too.”
In the midst of the excitement, he was also careful to keep his expectations reasonable. “We were among the three finalists. Coming second was the maximum we could aspire to. Coming first was impossible for several reasons, the first was because both of the other two bands played incredibly well, and the second was because it would have been strange if, among 30 big bands, the first had been one from Europe. I only think that, in the final concert, I missed performing the ‘GiddyBug Galop’[from Round 1], to contrast with the ballad ‘Isfahan,’ But apart from that, I am very, very happy with everything. The people organizing the festival have been wonderful and very kind. I am truly grateful to Jazz At Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis for inviting us and supporting us financially to make it happen.”
After the Memphis Central High School Band closed the competition with some powerhouse playing that whipped the audience into a frenzy, the pros of the JALC big band then went to play a half-dozen numbers, concluding with the epic Ellington compositions “Diminuendo in Blue” and “Crescendo in Blue” linked as the famous medley at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival featuring Paul Gonsalves’ monster, 27-chorus sax solo that made jazz history (and revived Ellington and the band’s career).
The award presentations followed, with the SAJB receiving an impressive share:
- Outstanding Trumpet Section
- Outstanding Piano: Pau Garcia
- Outstanding Tenor Saxophone: Lola Peñaranda
- Outstanding Trumpet: Martí Costalago
- Outstanding Trumpet: Elsa Armengou
- Outstanding Vocals: Clàudia Rostey
- Honorable mention: Rhythm Section
- Honorable mention, Baritone Saxophone: Bernat Benavente
- Honorable mention Trumpet: Gerard Peñaranda
The overall band competition awarded the Memphis Central High School Band the First Place prize, The SAJB second, and the Osceola County School for the Arts band third (all of which received cash prizes as well).
Koldo Munné, currently the senior member of the SAJB saxophone section, reflected on the Essentially Ellington experience shortly after returning to Barcelona.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” he said. “I think the best thing about it is that it kind of helped all of us to put our feet on the ground, if that’s the saying. Because back in Catalonia, there’s not a lot of young big bands, so you could say we are kind of at the top in that way. And suddenly you get to a place [Essentially Ellington] were there’s tons of very young people playing so good, and tons of young big bands sounding so great. So, I really think it has been, for me at least, a very humbling experience. Seeing all of these people and realizing ‘hey, I’m good, but there’s also a million people out there who are also very, very good, and who also have a lot of stories to tell.’ It’s been an honor and great opportunity also to meet all of these people and get to play alongside them, an obviously to get to meet and play with the JALC big band.”
Was the band happy with how they played?
“We were!” he said with enthusiasm. “We were very happy with it. I think in the twelve years I’ve been in the band, there’s obviously been ups and downs, older people leave, younger people get in, so things are gonna be different, depending on who’s in the band, but I would say we were all very happy, especially with the second performance, we all left the stage and were all like, ‘Wow!’ We all played so good, I think we sounded great. There’s obviously tons of work behind it, and hours of listening to the parts. It was a great thing that we were not reading from a score, we had it all in our minds, and that really helps us all be together when we play, and listen more to each other, because we’re not focusing on a paper.”
His best memories of the trip were hearing of the band’s progression through the rounds of the competition.
“A memory that will surely stick with me is the two moments when they told us we got to the semifinals and we got to the finals, that rush of energy. I have Wynton’s words stuck in my head, ‘In no particular order—Sant Andreu Jazz Band…’ When he said that, we all jumped up with excitement and we hugged each other and screamed and laughed—that waiting to know if we got it, and the whole celebration, will stick in my head as one of the best memories of the whole trip.”
So, despite what some cynics might say, winning First Place in this or any competition—be it a 26-mile marathon or grammar school spelling bee—is not the sole outcome that can bring with it a sense of achievement, even3 pure joy, to its participants. The musicians of Essentially Ellington were there more for their love of music, to demonstrate the results of their hard work, and for sharing their creativity, their stories, and their future goals as musicians. Joan Chamorro has instilled those values in his SAJB students for two decades, and it shows each time they step upon a stage.
Garry Berman has written a number of articles related to the SAJB for The Syncopated Times. You can find them all HERE.
For over twenty years, Garry Berman has written books and articles related to pop culture and entertainment history. He has contributed articles to Beatlefan magazine, Nostalgia Digest, and History magazine. In addition to his non-fiction work, he also writes comic novels and screenplays.He is also co-administrator of the Facebook group page Friends of Sant Andreu Jazz Band. Visit him online at www.GarryBerman.com.
