Standing in the band room at Cedar Ridge High School while the jazz band is steam rolling through rehearsals for an upcoming performance, one could close their eyes and believe they were taking in the sounds of a talented ensemble in a small, dark club in New Orleans, minus the cigarette smoke, alcohol, and 100 percent humidity.
The band charges forward — like corralled energy — with its animated leader, Josh Cvijanovic, somehow keeping it harnessed and focused. And then, like an arc of electricity, the sound of trumpets bursts above the the rest of the instruments to take the lead, and the volume pumps up a notch or two.
Now, your foot is tapping, eyes still closed, and you’re shaking your head in disbelief. Right about the time you’re ready to reel off a Kerouac quote, and call someone a ‘cat,’ Cvijanovic directs the song’s end, and it’s over.
There’s no questioning the talent of this group of students at Cedar Ridge High School. It’s also no surprise that many of these high-level jazz musicians perform with other local groups, for instance, trumpeters Aiden Dumain and Eli Rachlin play with the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble. In fact, that same Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble was recently chosen as one of 15 high-school-age bands in the country to take part in the 27th-annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. The performance and competition is hosted by Jazz At Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis, and will be held in person May 5-7.
Dumain and Rachlin, who are seniors at Cedar Ridge, have been playing the trumpet since they were in the sixth grade at A.L. Stanback Middle School, with Rachlin getting into jazz band in the seventh grade, and Dumain following a year later.
Jump forward six years, and the bandmates are about to travel to New York, and step onto the biggest stage they’ve yet to see.
“I’m pretty excited,” Dumain said. “Especially since in 10th grade we were supposed to go, but Covid kind of canceled it. So, I’m excited to go this year and be able to do it.”
“I think also the ability to go to New York and not deal so much with Covid anymore is nice because we can all go and just worry about having fun instead of worrying about social distancing and masking and all the other things that go along with that,” Rachlin said. “It can just be an enjoyable experience for all people trying to go enjoy this music.”
For the first two days of the Essential Ellington Competition, all 15 bands will have a chance to perform. The performances will be scored by Jazz At Lincoln Center judges, and the top three bands will be selected to give a final performance. The weekend, however, isn’t all about competing with each other.
“There’s a banquet dinner where they mix people from all the bands so we can get to know each other,” Dumain said. “There’s a jam session where they combine people from different groups. It’s really cool.”
Last November, the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble learned of two of the pieces they would ultimately choose to perform in New York. A third song was added to the ensemble’s playlist in February, after learning it had been chosen for the competition in New York.
“We’ve also got to put together other pieces because we’re (Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble) playing a gig up there when we get to New York,” Dumain said. “We’ve got a gig at Bond 45 Restaurant. It’s great to have a full concert.”
Josh Cvijanovic, who has for eight years, taught jazz, concert, and marching band at Cedar Ridge, said he’s not at all surprised by the opportunity his top trumpeters have earned.
“We’ve had a long, working relationship with TYJE,” he said. “A number of our students in our top jazz group have performed with Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble and work with Dr. (Gregg) Gelb and Lisa Burn and the whole Triangle Philharmonic Association since before I’ve been here, and the group has only gotten better. They offer terrific instruction, they bring in a lot of clinicians to get a lot of additional feedback. And then the students represent some of the best in our part of the state. They also take on a lot of responsibility individually, which is great. They meet for sectionals, and they do a lot of the preparation work ahead of time. When they actually get to their rehearsal, it’s just a matter of tightening the screws and putting everything together.”
Outside of jazz band and jazz ensemble, Dumain and Rachlin said they are big fans of jazz, and listen to it often, but they both appreciate other styles of music. Rachlin said he enjoys R&B, while Dumain said he listens to a lot of hip hop.
And jazz isn’t their sole interest. Both seniors recognize the value of athletics and physical activity. Rachlin is on Cedar Ridge’s men’s tennis team, and also swims. Dumain plays lacrosse for the Red Wolves.
After high school, Dumain is planning to study engineering at either the University of Texas at Austin or N.C. State University. He said he hopes to continue with his love of jazz by playing in a jazz combo. Rachlin will study Music Education and minor in jazz studies at Michigan State University, which is one of the reasons he can play the piano, French horn, trombone, mellophone, in addition to the trumpet.
Before that next big step in their lives happens, Dumain and Rachlin will have another set of performances together in New York, and a chance to play with and against some of the most talented jazz musicians in the nation. And a chance to meet Wynton Marsalis, one of the greatest trumpet players and jazz musicians in the world.
The Triangle Philharmonic Association is seeking donations to help pay for the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble’s trip to New York for the Essential Ellington Competition. To make a donation, go to: https://philharmonic-association.org/contribute/
The address to send checks is on the website, or you can use PayPal to donate via credit card. If donations are made electronically, be sure to note “EE Trip.”
