American culture still produces great things. The Music Center at Strathmore, a gorgeous concert and arts venue just outside of Washington, is preparing for a premier performance by its new in-house, 17-piece Strathmore Jazz Orchestra. The band, led by conductor and composer Daniel Jamieson, will make its debut on Friday, Feb. 13, performing with Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling.
I’ve been a fan of Elling’s for 20 years, and grew up just a few miles from the Strathmore Center. The new orchestra and its benediction by Elling is a fantastic moment for the arts in America. It’s a sign of positivity, talent, and hope.
“When I agreed to take on the role of conductor of the Strathmore Jazz Orchestra,” Jamieson tells me, “one of my core stipulations was that this orchestra would never function as a backup band. The musicians themselves are the heart of the project. I want this ensemble to be presented with the same artistic importance and visibility as any guest soloist we bring in. The players are the identity of this orchestra, and I am committed to building a culture that places them at the center of every performance.”
Jamieson has impressive credentials. He studied jazz composition at the Manhattan School of Music and has collaborated with ensembles such as the Metropole Orchestra, the Danish Radio Big Band, the WDR Big Band, the Boston Pops, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and with artists including Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, and Cécile McLorin Salvant. He’s also the founder and artistic director of JazzComposersPresent.com, a groundbreaking platform that has become the world’s leading online resource for jazz composition education and professional development. Since 2016, he has served as staff arranger and music producer for the U.S. Army Field Band.
Jamieson offers that the Strathmore concert “feels especially meaningful because, although I have spent years conducting large ensemble projects across North America and Europe, I have never had the opportunity to do this kind of work locally in the DMV, where I live. I am genuinely excited to invest in something rooted in this community, to build a local audience around this new band, and to contribute something meaningful and lasting to the region’s musical landscape. Planning for future projects and upcoming seasons is already underway, and there is much more to come as we continue defining this ensemble’s voice and mission.”
Elling is also excited about playing Strathmore. A performer who both honors the jazz tradition and challenges listeners with new arrangements and forays into other genres, he’s sure to bring a thrilling program to North Bethesda, Maryland.
“It is easier to diversify various directions of exploration, groove, and instrumentation project-to-project rather than within one set or concert of live music,” he says. “Each outing is an adventure in possibilities, but with its own set of ground rules, instrumentation needs, parameters, [and] collaborative energy. Each recording project implies a certain palette. A given live event exists to manifest the colors within a chosen palette.”
“I’m really glad to hear that you’re such a longtime fan of Kurt,” adds Jamieson. “I am as well. I think you actually touched on exactly why Kurt has had the career he’s had. He has a deep respect for the tradition, but he has never been afraid to adapt, reinvent himself, and keep searching creatively. That curiosity and willingness to evolve are what keep his work feeling fresh and relevant.”
The concert is going to celebrate the release of In the Brass Palace, Elling’s new album with Bob Mintzer and the WDR Big Band, which is being released the same day as the performance.
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“What my biography does not fully convey is the depth of my love for writing and conducting music, especially for large jazz and commercial ensembles,” adds Jamieson. “Writing for big band and orchestra offers an unmatched platform for artistic expression. The combination of a wide orchestral color palette and the space for collaborative soloists to improvise creates a unique vehicle for storytelling through sound. That balance between composition and spontaneity is special to this art form.”
Jamieson closes with this: “This feels like a moment when music and art are more important than ever. At their best, they bring people together and create shared experiences that remind us of our common humanity. I see artificial intelligence as a tool, like many others that have come before it. History shows that new technologies always inspire a range of reactions. But it is the human soul that gives music its meaning, and that is what will continue to move audiences and shape the future of the art form.”
