Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra: Harry James Tribute Featuring Joshua Kauffman

Special Guest:

James Kauffman – Trumpet

Saxes

Erik Elligers
Tyler Wilkins
Matt Parker
Josh Thomas
Matt Schmidt

Trombones
Sean Nelson
Leroy Loomer
Vince Yanovitch
Wes Mayhew

Trumpets
Don Clough
Renee McGee
Luke Wingfield
Haneef Nelson

Rhythm
Jen Allen – piano
Gianni Gardner – guitar
Lou Bocciarelli – bass
Nathan Lassell – drums

Joshua Kauffman has deep ties to the music of Harry James. After befriending and playing trumpet for Harry James, Jr, at his home in Texas, he was gifted many items from the estate, including several of Harry’s trumpets and music manuscripts. Joshua has a deep love and reverence for the music of Harry James, and this is evident in his expert performance of this historically important music.Joshua Kauffman, an in-demand performer and educator in the Washington Metropolitan area, can be seen and heard at major venues like The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Capitol One Arena and Blues Alley. He teaches regularly at The National Jazz Workshop and is frequently seen as a guest artist and clinician with colleges and schools throughout the US.

Equally at home in the jazz and classical idioms, Joshua has had the opportunity to share the stage with Doc Severinsen, Hugh Jackman, Randy Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Arturo Sandoval, Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, Sean Jones, Stefon Harris, Luis Enrique, The Big Apple Circus, Eddie Daniels, Wycliffe Gordon, Alan Baylock, Dennis Mackrel and many others.

He also travels around the United States to perform swing music for national and international events, like The International Lindy Hop Championships, DC Lindy Exchange, Beantown Camp as well as other swing music and dancing events and competitions.

Originally from New Castle, PA, Joshua attended the University of North Texas where he played in the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band from 2014-2017, where he held both the solo and lead trumpet chairs. While in the One O’Clock Lab Band, he performed at the inaugural concert of Cancer Blows, Monterey Jazz Festival and traveled to Australia to perform at the Generations in Jazz Festival with famed multi-instrumentalist, James Morrison. He graduated in 2017 magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies.

Days before graduation, Joshua auditioned and won a position with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, where he holds the first trumpet chair of The U.S. Army Blues, the premiere jazz ensemble of The United States Army.

Joshua has had many great teachers and mentors in his life including Allen Vizzutti, Jay Saunders, Paul Stephens, John Holt, Rodney Booth, Mike Steinel, Dr. Stephen Hawk and others.

Joshua is a Yamaha Performing Artist and exclusively plays GR Mouthpieces.The Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra is a “full bodied and polished brassy big band” (Jazz Weekly) made up of 17 of the finest musicians in New England. Formed in 2016 as the New London Big Band, for the past nine years they have played monthly for sold out crowds at the Social Bar + Kitchen in New London CT. The band has performed all over the country, including the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), the Birdland Jazz Club (NYC), Monks Jazz Club (Austin TX), and Hallowed Halls (Portland OR). The band has released three albums, the most recent of which, “Don’t Stop Now: the lost music of Thad Jones for Harry James,” reached #29 on the jazz radio charts.

The band’s sound is rooted in the Kansas City swing of Count Basie, “swinging high, hard, and hot” (All About Jazz.) “Nelson…has assembled a youthful, sharp, hip 17-piece ensemble as dedicated as he is to the belief that big band sounds can provide a fine musical experience — one best served up live, where the groove and excitement of the arrangements and instrumental interplay can energize and pack a dance floor across generations.” (The Day of New London)

Sean Nelson is the leader and founder of the band. By day, he is enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he plays trombone with the Coast Guard Band’s concert band and jazz ensembles, serves as staff arranger, and is music director for the Guardians Big Band.

Nelson was music director and arranger for the 2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting with the Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band, creating over 500 pages of arrangements. This was performed in front of the White House and seen nationally on CBS. Sean was one of two composers that co-created the official song of the Space Force, Semper Supra, which is now part of every Armed Forces Medley. He also composed the official song for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officer corps (one of the eight federal uniformed services). He has won the National Band Association Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest and is a two­ time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s jazz arranging award. He currently works as the arranger for Sam Houston State University Bearkat Marching Band. Sean’s big band arrangements are published at iJazzmusic.com.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Sean received a Bachelor of Music degree from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas. While at North Texas, he was trombonist and composer for the One O’Clock Lab Band and sang with the Jazz Singers I. Sean’s trombone quartet won the International Trombone Association Quartet Contest. He spent his summers and winter breaks playing in house bands on cruise ships for Princess Cruises and Cunard Cruises.

Sean lives in Quaker Hill, Connecticut, with his wife Megan and children Lucinda, Giles, McCoy, and Cab.

Sean is a performing artist for S.E. Shires trombones and Denis Wick mouthpieces and mutes.