For our 16th moment, @WyntonMarsalis highlights two of his favorite #EssentiallyEllington trumpeters from the 90s: Brandon Lee and Tatum Greenblatt. "They had a lot of vocabulary... and a great deal of maturity "

Our 15th top moment from #EssentiallyEllington highlights the amazing composer, trumpeter, and musician, Summer Camargo. "She was in that long line of musicians who would come up and you would just be shocked by the way they played." -@WyntonMarsalis

Our 14th top moment highlights the great Horace Silver's tough-love approach to judging and also features a cameo from the late great Jimmy Heath. May these giants rest in peace. We are forever grateful for their contributions to #EssentiallyEllington.

We are back with another top moment from 25 years of #EssentiallyEllington! This one recaps the American Music Program playing the Tattooed Bride from memory. "That was something unimaginable. We have not seen that level of commitment from a band" -@WyntonMarsalis.

Join us as we celebrate 25 years of jazz education through #EssentiallyEllington as best told by longtime member Mr. Steve Massey. And be sure to check back for this year's EE finalist band announcement this Wednesday at 6:00 PM EST. Here's to 25 more!

We are proud to announce the 18 finalist bands who will be competing at the 25th Anniversary #EssentiallyEllington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival! Watch the video announcement: facebook.com/watch/?v=21725… Huge congratulations to all the bands & directors! 👏

We're back with another top moment from 25 years of #EssentiallyEllington. This one features a young and swinging Carlos Henriquez who would eventually join the JLCO just two years after winning top honors at the very first Competition and Festival with LaGuardia High School.

.@WyntonMarsalis is back with more of his favorite moments from 25 years of #EssentiallyEllington. Here, he is nostalgic over young trumpet players that had the temerity to challenge him to a battle. @RileyMulherkar being one of them...

#EssentiallyEllington Moment #10 features a young singer by the name of Jennifer Sanon. "She just had this kinda deep feeling and that's very rare to have somebody in high school have that kind of emotional depth". -@WyntonMarsalis

#EssentiallyEllington offers our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of EE alum, Lee Troz. We are deeply saddened by his passing and are holding the entire Sun Prairie community in our thoughts and prayers.

We've got your first #EssentiallyEllington reaction video of 2020! Watch Byron Center High School's jazz band find out they're coming to New York for the 25th Annual Competition and Festival. Byron Center Public Schools

"The one thing I love about it is when you get the master musicians that are much older and you get into a vocabulary where their mastery is supreme and unquestioned." -@WyntonMarsalis on Bob Wilbur. #EssentiallyEllington

It's going to be a good week because we have another #EssentiallyEllington finalist band reaction video. This one is from Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. Enjoy!

In moment #8 from 25 years of #EssentiallyEllington, Wynton Marsalis recalls what it was like judging with the great Monsignor Sanders, who played in #DukeEllington's Band.

.Jazz at Lincoln Center postpones the 25th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival, scheduled for May 7- 9, due to COVID-19. We place a priority on the health and safety of everyone involved and plan to celebrate these top 18 bands at a later date.

During unsteady times, we are forced not only to dig deep within ourselves, but to look to our leaders for courage and guidance. On this @WyntonMarsalis Wednesday, we acknowledge one of our great leaders, Mr. Jack Rudin.

"One of the greatest honors for me was having Gunther Schuller be a judge. I think it was a big boom for the program, having a person on his level... He was a soldier for music and for quality (music). " - Wynton Marsalis

Be sure to tune in next week for the 26th Annual Essentially Ellington Festival, June 2-5! For a full schedule of events visit jazz.org/ee

Tickets are now available for the 27th Annual #EssentiallyEllington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival! Join as we welcome the 15 Finalist bands from across the US to the "House of Swing" for the first time in two years!  Tickets & info: 2022.jazz.org/essentially-el…

The 27th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival is this week! Join us on May 5-7, 2022 as we welcome the 15 finalist bands back to the House of Swing. For tickets and more info, visit: jazz.org/ee