About Our Program

This 18-20 piece ensemble performs big band and large ensemble jazz repertoire from early swing to contemporary genres. Under the direction of Nikki Whittaker, the ensemble performs two formal concerts a year on the Knox College campus, the headlining final concert of the Rootabaga Jazz Festival at the historic Orpheum Theatre, and numerous public and private events throughout the academic year. The group competes at collegiate jazz festivals each year, and performs on a European tour every three years.

Membership in the Knox Jazz Ensemble is audition-based. The ensemble rehearses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4-5:30pm with additional required weekly sectional rehearsals scheduled by section leaders. Prospective students and parents are welcome to attend rehearsals while on campus.

To the right are four clips of the Knox Jazz Ensemble from their spring 2007 concert.

Under the direction of Nikki Whittaker, the Cherry St. Combo is Knox’s premiere small jazz ensemble. The Cherry St. Combo performs every Thursday night at McGillacuddy’s Restaurant and Bar from 8pm-Midnight. In addition to their weekly performance, the group maintains an active professional performing schedule, performing for both public and private events in the community. The combo competes annually at collegiate jazz festivals and tours nationally and internationally every 2-3 years. All told, the Cherry St. Combo averages 50 performances each year. The combo acts as a real-world workshop in which members learn the practicalities of professional musicianship, recording, composition and arranging.

To the right are two clips of the Cherry Street Combo from their album "Y is a Vowel in Spy."

In addition to the Cherry St. Combo, the Knox jazz program offers 5 jazz combos. Each combo is lead by a member of the jazz faculty, and provides focused attention on development of standard repertoire, improvisation, and arranging for small group performance. Each combo performs 1-2 sets per term at McGillacuddy’s Restaurant and Bar, and advanced combos often perform at additional campus and community events. All interested students are welcome to join a combo.
Although auditions are not required, new students are asked to audition for assessment purposes only. Combos range from beginning to advanced and rehearse 1 hour a week.

All jazz ensemble and combo participation can be taken for academic credit, as arranged between the student and his/her adviser on a term-by-term basis.

Students may opt to take jazz improvisation from any member of the jazz instrumental faculty. Lessons can be taken for credit or for no credit. Non-majors will be charged a fee of $310/term for lessons. Music majors can take up to two lessons per term free of charge. Music minors receive one year of lessons at the advanced level free of charge after completion of one year at the beginning level. Our outstanding jazz faculty represent some of the leading jazz artists in the region, and have performed nationally and internationally with such artists as Ray Charles, Jack McDuff, Steve Turre, Terrell Stafford, Rufus Reid, Max Roach, Archie Shepp and Stevie Wonder to name a few.