Jazz Combos

All musicians with an interest in jazz are invited to audition for the jazz combo program. Participants receive coaching from professional jazz musicians and have access to Department of Music rehearsal spaces, equipment (drums, amps, pianos, etc.), and music (Stanford Jazz Workshop sheet music and fakebooks). Combos perform at the end of each quarter. Some groups also play gigs in the community (optional).

Interested in playing in a jazz combo?

Most combos form in autumn quarter which is a good time to get involved because there are open auditions and more options for new players or returning players looking for a group. Students are encouraged to audition in autumn quarter to play in autumn, winter or spring quarter.

Placement is at the discretion of the jazz combo faculty and is dependent on several factors including instrumental balance, the availability of suitably matched partners, coaching, and Department of Music resources. Often the greatest challenge is to match players who share a comparable level of experience and are also all available to rehearse at the same time when coaching is available. As many groups as possible will be included.

Those who are not able to match with a group or otherwise find a spot may be able to join later if space becomes available.

Playing music in a jazz combo can be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling ways to grow musically and explore with others the artistic possibilities of creatively interactive music. With dedicated listening and practice, over time we become better able to express ourselves individually while supporting each other to collectively create something greater.

At the center of this is trust, listening, and community. We want the ensemble to be a place to take chances, follow intuition and logic, make mistakes, and try again.

We think about the music in three directions at once: past, present, and future. What came before us? Who am I and who are we together? Where is the music going?

Learning the tradition is essential, but there is no single starting point. Bebop is one of the many ways creative jazz musicians have communicated through an ever-evolving language. We want to learn from the different ways of speaking that came before us while discovering our own.

Technique matters when it gets in the way of saying what you want to say. Time, rhythm, harmony, sound, and command of your instrument should ultimately serve the music.

Stanford gives us an opportunity to expand these ideas. Students bring other ways of thinking into the room, from computer science and engineering to poetry, history, design, and beyond. We are interested in what can happen when those ways of thinking enter the music.

While playing jazz can be musically challenging, deeply engaging, and a lot of fun(!) there are a few responsibilities and requirements to consider before joining in. Playing in a combo is a team endeavor that requires all players to be present and engaged at every rehearsal so that the group and its individuals can achieve their highest potential.

Before getting involved with combo formation, everyone (including returning players) should read the syllabus to make sure the 2026-27 program works for you.

How to join a combo

In addition to reading the syllabus, everyone who wants to join a combo must fill out the Jazz Combo Participation Form (MUSIC 181). Filling out that form along with the information in the syllabus should give you a good sense of how the program works and what you need to do now to get involved.

On the Jazz Combo Participation form you’ll find the following three paths into the program explained in greater detail.

1. Autumn Quarter Auditions – required for new people and returning players who are looking for placement in a group, were not active in the program last quarter, or want to be considered on a different instrument.
2. Pre-formed group – a limited number of self-organizing returning players may be able to form a group. Instructions to propose a pre-formed group are on the Jazz Combo Participation Form. Because of changing available resources, having participated in a group in the past does not guarantee that there will be a spot for your group this year.
3. Jazz Skills Combo – an entry level group offered only in autumn quarter. No audition necessary. This group meets weekly on Wednesdays, from noon to 1pm.

Next steps: read the syllabus and complete the Jazz Combo Participation Form

Combo questions? Contact ambrosea [at] stanford.edu (Ambrose Akinmusire) and make sure “combo” is one of the words in the email subject line.

Other Jazz Ensembles contacts:

• Jazz Orchestra (MUSIC 161B): Mike Galisatus
• Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble (MUSIC 161E): murlow [at] stanford.edu (Murray Low)
• Jazz Skills (MUSIC 181 Section 2): murphjazz [at] yahoo.com (Bob Murphy)