Jazz at Lincoln Center announces the competition at the 16th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival will be video streamed live online for the first time in the history of the program. The free webcast on May 13-14 will feature the exhibition performance by the winning community ensemble, performances by the fifteen high school jazz band finalists, including Mountlake Terrace High School, as well as the announcement of the top placing bands.

Mountlake Terrace Jazz Band will be performing in the 10-11:30 am EDT session (7-8:30 am PDT) on Saturday, May 14. The Top 3 Bands will be announced 4 pm EDT (1 pm PDT) and the Final Concert & Awards Ceremony will be at 7:30 pm EDT (4:30 PDT)

Earlier this year The Mountlake Terrace Jazz Band was selected as one of just 15 high school jazz bands in North America to participate in the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival.

This annual festival is focused on the music of Duke Ellington but also includes some music this year from the Count Basie Orchestra. The band submitted a recording at the end of January and learned this week that they have been selected. Roosevelt High School was selected to participate in the festival as well. Other bands will be coming from Florida, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Manitoba, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and California.

The three top-placing bands perform with Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, as guest soloist, followed by a performance by the 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra ? whose members serve as mentors for the finalist bands throughout the weekend. The Festival’s finale is an awards ceremony honoring outstanding soloists, sections and the top three bands. The Competition & Festival is the culmination of the annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program (EE), which also includes regional festivals, teaching resources, a summer Band Director Academy, monthly newsletters, and more.

View the webcast here.