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North Carolina Central University Jazz Combo I
Inaugural HBCU Jazz Combo Challenge Winner
Prof. Robert Trowers, director
Daniel Campos, trumpet
Dexter Moses, alto saxophone
Shaquim Muldrow, tenor saxophone
Brandon Seaforth, trombone
Jay Killman, guitar
Benjamin Johnson, piano
Christopher Mills, Michael DeVito, bass
Jonathan Hill, Scott Bruce, drums
Aissa Paul, Elijah Henderson, vocal
Combo I is the small jazz ensemble comprised of the students who are generally in later stages of development as performers, arrangers and songwriters at North Carolina Central University. The students come from various states and countries and range from undergraduate to graduate students pursuing degrees in Performance or Composition and Arranging.
Over the years this combo has been a learning community for the students involved, allowing them to hone their skills at improvisation, group phrasing, spontaneous horn voicing, arranging, group interaction and the development of a repertoire of jazz standards.
Jazz Combo I has been featured at the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship Combo Showcase at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2021, ‘22 and ‘23. Earlier cohorts of the group have recorded, the last being the 2011 CD titled Slightly Blued. They are proud to be the winners of the inaugural Monterey Jazz Festival HBCU Combo Challenge.
