USC Jazz Studies · “Essentially Ellington”

About This Show

The 2025 USC Jazz Studies Essentially Ellington Regional is a learning, adjudication and performance opportunity for regional high school and middle school jazz students to perform for and work with our world class jazz faculty, Jazz at Lincoln Center faculty and our guest artist, Rodney Whitaker. Rodney Whitaker is a 2024 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Each ensemble will have a 30 minute warm-up period, a 30-minute performance period in the School of Music Recital Hall and a 30-minute clinic with our jazz faculty or guest artist. Ensembles will also receive a professional recording of their performance.

Registration includes free tickets and reserved seating for all students to the evening concerts. There will be musical vendors on site.

The concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Koger Center for the Arts is free and open to the public.

About Rodney Whitaker

Internationally renowned bassist and Origin Records recording artist, Rodney Whitaker, currently holds the titles of Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University where he has built one of the leading jazz degree programs and performing faculty in the world. He is considered one of the leading performers and teachers of the jazz double bass in the United States. He is also the Artistic Director of the Michigan State University Professors of Jazz, former Artistic Advisor of Jazz @ Wharton Center, Director of Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Jazz Orchestra and a former member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Whitaker received his first national recognition performing with the Harrison/Blanchard Quintet.

Building on his Detroit roots and enormous talent, Whitaker went on to earn an international reputation as one of the world’s finest jazz double bass performer. He completed seven-year tenure as bassist with Wynton Marsalis’ Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He has toured the world over the last twenty-five years, collaborating and performing with dozens of legendary jazz artists.

Now based in East Lansing, Whitaker continues to serve many of the talented in the state of Michigan. His legacy of teaching promises to be distinguished with former students currently performing with jazz greats such as Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Pat Matheny, The Count Basie Orchestra and Stephon Harris.