Northern Jazz (NJ)

Although the Northern Jazz is not a Northland ensemble, they do use the space at the college for rehearsal and join other Northland ensembles for performances. Our ensemble is a full jazz stage band with 5 saxophones, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets and a full rhythm section including guitar, piano, bass, drums, and vibraphone. Our members, like the NCB, come from the NW corner of Minnesota and are not music professionals but community members and Northland students.

Northern Jazz has two primary seasons: winter and summer. Northern Jazz rehearses on Monday evenings for 2 hours from November to March in preparation for our annual Winter Merriment Concert. This performance usually has a theme to it. Some of the past themes have been The Blues, Swing Kings, Lawrence Welk, Country, Music of the 60s, Horn Bands of the 70s, and Latin American. This event typically has an entrance fee, as food is included.

NJ also plays extensively during the summer months with a few occasional rehearsals. Our summer stops have included events like Thief River Falls’ RiverFest, Goosefest in Middle River, Moosefest in Karlstad, Movie in the Park in TRF, and parades in Erskine, Fertile, and TRF.