The Jazz Knights

The Jazz Knights are the jazz ensemble of the United States Military Academy Band stationed at West Point, New York; they are one of the three premiere jazz ensembles of the United States Army Special Bands. Originally created in 1972 to carry on the tradition of American Jazz and entertain the Corps of Cadets, the “JK's” are one of the few professional touring big bands that exclusively and regularly rehearse for the purpose of presenting jazz ensemble music. The ensemble's mission is to serve the United States Military Academy and the American public. The group has attracted 18 professional jazz musicians from across the United States to be a part of the unit through an exclusive audition process. Past and present members of the band have played, recorded, and toured with such icons as Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Ahmad Jamal, Chaka Kahn, Prince, Billy Cobham, and the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller Orchestras. Members of the group are graduates of some of America's most prestigious music schools such as the University of North Texas College of Music, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. They are recruited and selected through a competitive audition process specifically for service in the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. Through the years, the Jazz Knights have presented performances to audiences throughout the United States and Canada. The “JK's” routinely produce broadcasts and recordings that are heard in media outlets internationally. Most recently they have performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and for the A&E Network with the Boston Pops.