Following selection through open auditions in September, the Combo rehearsed under Rossum’s direction at MacPhail throughout the fall in preparation for their weekend of rehearsal, performance and clinic with trombone master Delfeayo Marsalis. A full Friday afternoon of rehearsal took place at the Dakota on November 30th, and the young musicians returned to the Dakota on a snowy Saturday morning to welcome approximately 30 eager middle and senior high school students to a clinic and jam, all directed by Marsalis. On the evening of December 1st, despite the wintery mess downtown, a nearly full club and restaurant greeted the first public performance of this Combo, with Delfeayo Marsalis joining the sextet on most of the selections. One of Kelly Rossum’s emphases in directing the Combo is to encourage the musicians to develop their own arrangements and compositions, as well as leadership roles. The repertoire for their Dakota performance thus included classic jazz standards like “Donna Lee” and “Ceora,” as well as such original fare as Jacob Wittenberg’s “Lullabye of Longing.”  

The grand opening of the new MacPhail facility in January provided another opportunity for the Dakota Combo to show off its multiple talents as the group performed at the gala on January 12th. The Combo has continued to study and rehearse with Kelly Rossum throughout the spring, performing on the student stage of the Twin Cities Winter Jazz Festival in March and making a brief appearance on KARE-11’s “Showcase” in April; the Combo was also featured at MacPhail’s annual fund raising luncheon on April 30th, performing with the MacPhail Suzuki Ensemble and voice students in a piece arranged by Kelly Rossum, and with MacPhail vocalist Vicky Mountain.  

While everyone agreed the first year of the program was a big success, expanding the program to two full semesters of study and performance provided the young musicians with additional opportunities to learn their craft.  Noted Rossum, “The additional semester allowed the students to develop their skills not only as individuals, but also as an ensemble. They now trust the other members of the group on a musical level, which is critical to the maturation of jazz concepts. They were also able to explore more of their original compositions.” 

One of the components of the expanded activities this year was a series of school visits on February 21st. Three area schools—Richard Green K-8 and Southwest High School in Minneapolis, and Spring Lake Park High School—participated. The Combo started their day at Richard Green, performing, answering questions and demonstrating their instruments for an attentive group of 4th and 5th graders. At Spring Lake Park, the Combo presented a short set of music followed by an open jam with SLP jazz students. The day ended at Southwest with another performance for the combined music programs. The school visits were considered an important part of the expanded program. Said Rossum, “I think they enjoyed performing for younger students and for other high school musicians. They had to field questions from students their own age and younger. It was interesting hearing their responses to ‘What turned you on to Jazz?’ or ‘How much do you practice?’” And looking ahead, Kelly sees other opportunities with the two-semester program. Next year, he would like to add a performance at the Minnesota Music Educators Association convention and perhaps a workshop presentation at the conference as well.

The Dakota Combo performance at MacPhail on May 22nd will mark the end of the MacPhail jazz season, but hardly the end for the Combo. They’ll be performing on the Student Stage at the summer Twin Cities Jazz Festival in late June. And for the four seniors, college and further jazz studies awaits them in the fall—Jacob Wittenberg at Stanford, Stephanie Wieseler at the New England Conservatory of Music, Matt Roberts at Columbia College of Music in Chicago, and Geoff LaCrone at St. Thomas University in St. Paul.  

Whether the next phase of their jazz careers involves conservatory studies, college orchestras or another season of high school band, these young musicians have already learned important lessons. Said Jake Baldwin (trumpet), “Playing in this group and being guided by Kelly has given me a whole new take on what jazz is. In a sense my concept changed from trying to be Dizzy or Miles to listening to everything, learning what everyone does, and then forgetting it all and playing what I think sounds good. To me that's what a good musician does and that is what this group has been all about for me.”  Geoff LaCrone (guitar) notes that “I learned to not play ‘selfishly. I've realized that when I play with other musicians, I have to listen to what they're doing and play something (or nothing) to support it, rather than try to show-off.” The importance of the interaction within the group is also echoed by Jacob Wittenberg (piano): “Playing in the Dakota Combo has really elevated my musicianship in all regards.  Just listening to the ideas that flow from the other stellar musicians in the band gives me inspiration to practice and constantly push my concepts in new directions. It’s impossible not to develop when you’re in such a great musical environment.” 

If you have been wondering about the future of jazz, look no farther than the Dakota Combo. Hear for yourself on May 22nd at 8 pm, Antonello Hall in the new MacPhail Center for Music at 501 Second Avenue South in the Minneapolis Mill District. FFI, www.macphail.org; www.dakotacombo.com. High school jazz musicians and instructors interested in auditions for the 2008-09 Dakota Combo should contact Kelly Rossum at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it