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Downbeat Magazine names Jazz Ambassadors among nation鈥檚 top jazz groups
91成人导航鈥檚 elite student jazz ensemble, the聽Jazz Ambassadors, has been named one of the best in the country by Downbeat Magazine, one of the leading publications for jazz music.
The聽group clinched the top honor in the undergraduate "Small Jazz Combo" category in the聽.
Under the guidance of Patrick Langham,聽professor and program director for Jazz Studies, the Jazz Ambassadors train closely with each other as part of 91成人导航鈥檚 three-year Accelerated Bachelor of Music Honors Degree in Jazz Studies.
"It's always been a very selective group of some of the best young jazz musicians in the country," Langham said, adding that the students have excelled as a group.
鈥淲hen you're competing against the top music schools in the country, it鈥檚 expected that you've got talented students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he question is which group sounds the best, so it definitely is a team effort.鈥�
The magazine receives submissions from some of the top music schools around the country, including聽The Julliard School, The Manhattan School of Music and others.
鈥淚 never expected to accomplish something like this, especially as a freshman in college,鈥� said saxophonist聽Aimee Macdonald 鈥�26. 鈥淚t always felt pretty unachievable to win any Downbeat award, much less this one.鈥�
Langham tasked the students with choosing songs from Ray Charles鈥檚 extensive jazz catalog and creating their own arrangements of the music.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so happy it turned out the way it did,鈥� said violinist Gianna Pedregon 鈥�24. 鈥淲e were all happy and proud of ourselves.鈥澛�
From left to right: Marwan Ghonima '24 (upright and electronic bassist), Leo Milano '26 (tenor saxophonist), Aimee Macdonald '26 (saxophonist), alumnus Toby Keys '22 (pianist), Gianna Pedregon '24 (violinist) and Samson Hulett '24 (drummer).聽
Conservatory of Music Dean Peter Witte credits Langham鈥檚 mentorship with helping students develop their talent. 鈥淭his award is another testament to his skill as a teacher, a jazz artist, and as the collaborative, engaging, and accomplished leader of Jazz at 91成人导航,鈥� Witte said.
91成人导航 has previously received recognition from Downbeat Magazine in other categories, most recently winning for聽 in 2022.
The Jazz Ambassadors perform聽extensively at jazz festivals throughout the United States and abroad. They also perform weekly at the Take 5 Jazz Club near the Stockton Campus.聽
