Mount Si High School’s appearance at Essentially Ellington last week netted the jazz band several awards, including individual and ensemble honors.

The awards were announced Sunday, at the conclusion of the annual festival honoring the top 15 high school jazz bands in the country at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Overall, The first-place winner was Tucson Jazz Institute from Tucson, AZ. The second-place winner is Denver School of the Arts from Denver, CO and third-place winner is Dillard Center for the Arts from Fort Lauderdale, FL. In addition, Newark Academy from Newark, NJ received an honorable mention.

Gered Beyford received an award in the Outstanding Trombone category; Sean Hakala was honored in the Outstanding Trumpet category and Sage Eisenhour was awarded as an Outstanding Vocalist. Alto saxophonist Christian Palomo received an honorable mention and Mount Si’s reed section earned an honorable mention.

Beginning on May 11, the top 15 high school jazz bands in the country participated in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition &Festival and for the first time ever, Essentially Ellingtonwelcomed guests from the Orquesta Juvenil de Jazz de Cuba to perform in exhibition. All 16 bands were immersed in three days of mentoring, jam sessions, and workshops.

On Friday, May 12, the competition kicked off with a second line parade, United We Swing, with all participating bands, hosts, community members and city officials parading from Columbus Circle Park to the Jazz at Lincoln Center marquee at the Time Warner Center.

Each finalist band was selected by a panel of adjudicators including: Loren Schoenberg, Mark Buselli, Steve Fidyk, and Todd Coolman. At the Festival, finalist bands were critiqued by a panel of judges comprised of distinguished jazz musicians and historians: Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis; acclaimed trumpeter and Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Jazz Orchestras Sean Jones; big band leader, drummer and Grammy-nominated recording artist Jeff Hamilton; renowned flautist, saxophonist, composer, educator, and EE Alum Erica von Kleist; and Director Emeritus of Jazz Studies Houston’s High School for Performing and Visual Arts Dr. Bob Morgan.

During the culminating ceremony, Wynton Marsalis presented awards to each of the finalist high school jazz bands. Tucson Jazz Institute accepted the first-place trophy and an award of $5,000. Denver School of the Arts accepted the second-place trophy and an award of $2,500. Dillard Center for the Arts accepted the third-place trophy with an award of $1,000. The remaining finalist bands were each awarded a cash prize of $500. All monetary awards are to be used for improving the jazz education programs of each respective high school.