The Washington State University Jazz Big Band is the winner of the Graduate College Large Jazz Ensemble (asynchronous) Award from DownBeat magazine on the basis of virtual recordings made by the band while WSU was online only.
DownBeat is the most important journal in jazz, often called the “Jazz Bible.” DownBeat Student Music Awards are national in scope, awarded to top jazz programs from around the country. The WSU recordings submitted to DownBeat are included on the Jazz Big Band’s latest CD, “Jazz During Lockdown,” which is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, wsurecordings.com and other online sites.
As WSU Regents Professor and Coordinator of Jazz Studies, Greg Yasinitsky, said “WSU has won a number of DB awards over the years, but this one is particularly sweet since I am retiring this spring. This award is a great tribute to our outstanding students and faculty in the School of Music.”