GREATER U STREET JAZZ COLLECTIVE

The Greater U Street Jazz Collective is a Washington DC-based jazz ensemble, inspired by the powerful legacy of Washington's Greater U Street neighborhood; its luminaries and its ordinary citizens. The Collective’s music pays homage to the neighborhood’s venerable history while engaging its ever-changing challenges and dynamics. 
  
The Collective’s 2013 release, Ballin’ the Jack, was warmly received and critically acclaimed, garnering nominations in the 29th Washington Area Music Association Awards for Best Jazz Group/Duo and Best Jazz Album. The Washington City Paper called Ballin’: 

 “…an important release by an important DC band.” ---Mike West 

  
The group’s resume includes performances for: 

• The Cherry Blossom Festival 
• The National Press Club 
• The Congressional Black Caucus 
• The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival 
• NBC Universal’s WRC-TV 
• WPFW’s Live at Five 
• Twins Jazz 
• Bohemian Caverns 
• The U Street Oral History Project at Busboys and Poets 
• The DC Jazz Festival 

  
The Collective is member-owned and organized cooperatively. Collective members have played or produced music with a diverse group of musicians, including Andy Bey, Dave Brubeck, Cab Calloway, The O’Jays, Sun Ra, and Webster Young, amongst others. 
  
One unique feature of the Collective is how each member brings experience from other professional disciplines such as law, education, engineering, advertising and video production to music-making.