JAS ACADEMY SUMMER SESSIONS
Hopes to return in 2013
Check back in October '12 for submission guidelines.

The JAS Academy Summer Sessions, is a nationally recognized education program, making a major contribution to the continuation and development of American Jazz.  The JAS Academy is the nation's only all-scholarship jazz residency program, uniting the finest young jazz artists with the world's "jazz legends".  JAS Academy Summer Sessions was created in 1995 out of the collaboration between JAS and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Washington D.C..  It was formerly known as the JAS - Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Colony.

To Support the JAS Academy!!

JAS will choose talented young bands to participate in the residency.  Many come to JAS's attention thought its extensive network of jazz masters, including JAS Academy Artistic Director, Christian McBride.  The young artists come from diverse backgrounds, some studying at the top music schools in the country, including Juilliard, Berklee, New England Conservatory and the University of Miami.  They are the recipients of many of the top awards in their field and perform regularly throughout the United States and beyond, having already distinguished themselves as gifted artists with the well deserved expectation to sustain a professional career in performance.

In the summer of 2000, critically acclaimed musician Christian McBride, considered one of the "most in demand" bass players in the world, became the JAS Academy's first Artistic Director. McBride, along with Program Director Loren Schoenberg, host a series of morning jazz seminars, combo rehearsals, instrument sectionals and "master-classes" featuring attending artist faculty (which in the past has included such artists as: Rosemary Clooney, Ray Brown, Dr. Billy Taylor Arturo Sandoval, Branford Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Poncho Sanchez, Russell Malone, Dianne Reeves and Benny Green).  In the evenings these young musicians and jazz masters stretch the limits of their own creativity in public performances.

Many JAS Academy alumni have gone on to lead very successful professional careers.  Two alumni, Andre Haywood and Gretchen Parlato, have won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.  John Sullivan and Jael Shaw are now playing for Roy Haynes.  Alumni Richard Johnson is playing for Jazz at Lincoln Center while also working at the Smithsonian.  NOMO was able to play the main stage at the 2007 JAS June Festival.  Multiple alumni now have CDs recorded and many are now teaching master classes of their own.

In 2008 JAS changed the dates of the Academy to coincide with the JAS June Festival, thereby giving participants the opportunity not only to meet and work with many of the great acts that play the festivals, but also to give them more public exposure while they are in the Aspen area.