Playing the leaders’ compositions and arrangements covering a broad range of jazz and popular music styles, The Jeff Holmes Big Band (JHBB) features musicians/music educators from Western Mass to NYC. Jeff Holmes has led the JHBB for over 35 years, plus has toured Russia, released three CDs, made appearances at the NYC Brass Conference and the International Trumpet Guild Conference, and backed the likes of Mel Torme, Max Roach, Wayne Bergeron, Conrad Herwig, David “Fathead” Newman, and Jim Porcella. Holmes is Director of Jazz & African American Music Studies and Artistic Director of Jazz In July at UMass-Amherst, has worked as pianist/composer with the Paul Winter Consort for twenty years, and can be heard regionally with the New England Jazz Ensemble, Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble and the UMass Faculty Jazz Quartet “HGTS”. Vocalist Dawning Holmes has sung in jazz clubs from New York City to Europe, and has guested with Paul Winter, the UMass Studio Orchestra/Jazz Ensemble I, the Jeff Holmes Quartet at the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, and opened for comedian Bob Newhart. She performs tunes made popular by female singing legends Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Dinah Washington, Lena Horne, and Billie Holiday, plus R & B and Gospel in addition to her original compositions.

Event is free and open to the public.