Friends of the Coast Jazz Orchestra

The Coast Jazz Orchestra is the student jazz ensemble of Dartmouth College. Composed almost entirely of non-music majors, the Coast explores the full spectrum of jazz and creative music, from pioneers like Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams and Charles Mingus, to the latest original compositions by its guest artists, director and students. The jazz orchestra has been a model of creative interaction, structural innovation and American ingenuity for over a century—and the Coast has been around for almost as long: first for decades as a student-led ensemble, then for 40 years under the leadership of Don Glasgo before he passed the baton to Taylor Ho Bynum in 2017. In its rich history, the ensemble has hosted a diversity of guest artists, from jazz legends, to leaders of the avant-garde, to Latin jazz masters. This tradition continues with visits from some of the brightest voices of today's creative music scene.