The shadow of trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger Thad Jones from 1923 to 1986 looms large over the tradition of big band jazz. A member of one of jazz music’s first great musical families with brothers Elvin and Hank, he left behind a powerful legacy of heavyweight arrangements, memorable compositions, and groundbreaking solos.

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About the UNCG Spartan Jazz Collective

The UNCG Spartan Jazz Collective is a collaborative combo of faculty and students founded in 2012 to function in the mentorship tradition of the bands of Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Horace Silver. Faculty members Steve Haines (bass), Thomas Heflin (trumpet), and Chad Eby (saxophone) mentor a rotating cast of students in bandleading, arranging, and rehearsal technique, while focusing on specific jazz artists for each semester.

The Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program at UNCG is a unique and innovative undergraduate jazz program designed to emulate the traditional process of learning jazz, through a combination of mentorship, real-world playing experiences, and a communal approach to learning. Although the program is housed in one of the largest music schools in the Southeast, it is kept intentionally small, resulting in an intensive and highly personalized learning environment.