The Jackson State University Jazz Ensemble II performs repertoire that is quite varied. The material comes from many idioms of jazz, including: Big Band, Swing, Bop, Latin, Funk, Fusion, Blues, and even Pop. This ensemble consistently enjoys the presence of high quality played, enabling a wide variety of sound colors and textures to be realized. Many student musicians enroll in the Jazz Ensemble II for their first collegiate jazz experience and will develop skills in many genres and improvisation.
The Jazz Ensemble II has played several venues over the last few years, including the Dothan (Alabama) Jazz Festival, Alcorn State University Jazz Ensemble II (Vicksburg, MS), Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Jazz Band Festival, International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, New Orleans Heritage and Jazz Festival, Music Educators National Conference, the Mississippi Bandmasters Association, and HBCU National Band Directors’ Consortium.
The Jazz Ensemble II has received several awards and honors, which include: Outstanding Performance Award at the Annual Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Jazz Band Festival, and Outstanding Performance Award & Outstanding Soloist at the Alcorn State University Jazz Ensemble.