Composing and Arranging

Composing and arranging are how I think in sound.

My work moves across large and small ensembles, jazz orchestra, chamber-sized groups, and hybrid forms where improvisation and structure coexist. Critics have described the music as startlingly original, fresh, and visionary—language I take less as praise and more as responsibility.

Much of my writing grows out of long-term collaboration with my own ensembles and recording projects, but I am regularly commissioned to write for professional and educational jazz orchestras. Each piece begins as an imagined space—architectural, social, and emotional—and only becomes real once musicians inhabit it.

A formative chapter in my development was my involvement in the BMI Jazz Composers’ Workshop, where mentorship from Michael Abene, Jim McNeely, Mike Holober, and Maria Schneider sharpened my sense of form, orchestration, and purpose. To this day, hearing an ensemble bring a score into the world remains one of the most grounding experiences of my artistic life.

Composing / Arranging — Awards & Recognition

  • Jazz Producer of the Year, Independent Music Awards, 2019
  • JUNO Award nomination — Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, 2014
  • JUNO Award nomination — Traditional Jazz Album of the Year, 2011
  • Winner, Jazz Song Category, Independent Music Awards, 2011
  • Finalist, ArtEZ Jazz Composition Contest (Netherlands), 2011 & 2008
  • Finalist, Charlie Parker / BMI Jazz Composition Award, 2007
  • Sammy Nestico Award for Big Band Arranging, USAF, 2003
  • Grammy nomination for “Wanton Spirit,” Kenny Barron (Verve Records), composed by Earl MacDonald, 1996

Big Band Commissions

I accept a limited number of commissions for large ensemble works. Each project is shaped as a collaboration rather than a transaction, responsive to the musicians, the institution, and the moment the music will inhabit.

If you are interested in commissioning a new work, please contact me through this site. Rates are discussed individually.

  • New London Big Band — Sean Nelson, director
  • UMass Amherst Jazz Ensemble 1 — Jeffrey Holmes, director
  • Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra — Dr. Richard Gillis, director
  • Marshall University Jazz One Ensemble — Martin Saunders, director
  • Westchester Jazz Orchestra — Mike Holober, director
  • Grant MacEwan Faculty–Alumni Big Band
  • Amherst College Big Band — Bruce Diehl, director
  • USAF Airmen of Note
  • Central Massachusetts District Jazz Band
  • Jerrold Dubyk
  • Tyler Horby
  • Manchester High School Jazz Band — Keith Berry, director
  • University of Connecticut Wind Ensemble — Jeffrey Renshaw, director
  • University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra — Harvey Felder, director

Published Compositions & Arrangements

Selected works are published through eJazzLines, where scores, recordings, and detailed descriptions are available.

An evolving list of compositions and arrangements is also posted here and updated periodically.

Teaching, Syllabi & Pedagogy

As Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut, I teach jazz arranging and composition across small and large ensemble contexts, with an emphasis on intention, listening, and craft.

Writing on Composing & Arranging

Project-specific reflections and process notes include:

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