In May of this year, the Marine Jazz Combo made its fourth appearance in 15 years at the Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival in Alaska. The combo participated in the festival by performing free concerts, student assemblies and master classes, and concerts for the whole family. The annual festival began in 1987 and provides high-quality performances from professional musicians from around the country to benefit people of all ages, capabilities, and economic backgrounds.

“The festival brings in a variety of jazz and classical musicians to Juneau over the course of two weeks,” said group leader saxophonist Master Sgt. Gregory Ridlington. The Marine Jazz Combo was comprised of Ridlington, pianist Master Sgt. Russell Wilson, double bassist Master Sgt. Eric Sabo, guitarist Master Gunnery Sgt. Alan Prather, percussionist Master Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Rose, and trumpeter Staff Sgt. Tyler Lindsay. Throughout the week, the combo performed some funky tunes by party music band Scary Goldings and Snarky Puppy, a self-professed pop band that loves to improvise.

“Programming is tricky because you always want to find the right mix of pieces the audiences would like to hear but that we would also love to play,” Ridlington said. “We also had a couple of original compositions, a funky version of Old McDonald by Rufus Thomas, and the 80s ballads ‘At This Moment,’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.”

On May 12, the combo participated in a jam session which, according to Ridlington, is a vital way for jazz musicians to develop their skills. “The basic gist is to allow younger/less experienced/up and coming musicians to sit in and play with experienced players,” Ridlington explained. “In the 1930s and 40s especially, there was a cut throat competitive edge to these sessions—they were often called ‘cutting sessions,’ and would last all night. Our JJ&C session was more on the friendly side and didn’t last all night. We had about 12 musicians sit in with us. A festival volunteer had a clipboard for people to sign up what song they wanted to play and we called them up one by one to play with us. It was open to anyone, and the range of skill varied widely. Our local roadie and friend John Haywood sat in with us and played Miles Davis’ ‘Four.’ While he played alto saxophone, I joined him on tenor. Another local played several tunes on drums, and a trumpet player from a local high school joined us for a tune. A vocalist from Tennessee who happened to be in town visiting her daughter sang ‘Stella By Starlight.’ She said that it was the thrill of her life to sing with us backing her.”

The next day, twelve local musicians joined the combo for a jazz workshop where they experimented through hands-on learning and improvising. The participants took turns playing solos—sometimes an entire chorus of a tune, sometimes trading short four bar solos. Ridlington continued: “In between, we would stop and talk a little about what had just happened and suggest one or two things to try the next time around, and we played some more. The improvement from the beginning to the end of the class was remarkable to us all!”

In addition to these events, the jazz combo also presented master classes and short programs for students in and around southeast Alaska, where the music programs are thriving. 

“I loved playing for the kids!” Rose exclaimed. “Playing in the schools was one of the best parts of the trip because of the enthusiasm of the kids. They’re great because they are uninhibited in their response to the music. We told them before the music started that if there was something they liked, they are allowed to clap along—this is jazz, not classical. And so they all would. They just went crazy and it was great interacting with them.”

Ridlington added: “The schools in Juneau emphasize music. The first time we came to Alaska we were told that we’d be playing for an assembly of elementary school students. I was surprised at how observant and perceptive the kids were. The teacher clapped a rhythm then all of the students clapped back. And then they were silent and attentive.”

By the end of the week, the combo had performed live on two radio stations and performed for more than 260 elementary, middle and high school students, with more than 400 attending the concerts. While the children were attentive in the educational assemblies and coaching sessions, the locals were also very appreciative of the festival and the Marine Band musicians.

“It’s really nice to be part of a festival where the locals are enthusiastic about the festival and the members of ‘The President’s Own’ U.S. Marine Band,” Ridlington beamed. “Thanks to JJ&C we were able to share our expertise and love for jazz with the people of Alaska.”

Watch a short video of the combo in Alaska