The Nash Legacy Ensembles

The Nash Legacy Ensemble is holding auditions for two jazz combos for the 2020-21 academic year.  Directed by two of the leading jazz musicians/educators in the Southwest - Mike Kocour (Director of Jazz Studies, Arizona State University) and Eric Rasmussen (Director of Instrumental Music, Scottsdale CC) - students will develop the art of small jazz ensemble improvisation, composition, and arranging in a highly-supportive and collaborative manner.

This tuition-free program selects up to 12 musicians to perform regularly throughout the year and produce a CD of their music at the end of the academic year.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Legacy Program will begin the year online and move to an in-person model as the situation in Arizona becomes safe for students and teachers.

Auditions will be open to all interested students. Students will record video auditions using the provided lead sheets and play-along tracks. The requirements for the audition include: 1) Improvise three choruses of a blues 2) Play two choruses of the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves,” with one of these choruses being the melody.
Each play-along is the required number of choruses.

Drummers will be required to 1) demonstrate the following grooves: Bossa Nova, Samba, Mambo, Afro Cuban 12/8  2) Trade 4’s on a 12-bar blues form 1/4 note =250 and trade 8’s on 32-bar AABA form 1/4 note=250 3) Play a medium swing tempo on brushes.

Those who are interested in participating in this program (or educators that wish to refer students) should contact Dr. Ben Hedquist at ben.hedquist@thenash.org.

Audition recordings must be submitted to ben.hedquist@thenash.org on or before August 14, 2020.