Northwest Big Band (NWBB) is dedicated to preserving the “Big Band” musical style. The Big Band of five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums, and guitar was prevalent in the late 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s. The 17-piece Big Band is still very much alive today with music by contemporary composers and arrangers such as Gordon Goodwin, Sammy Nestico, and Tom Kubis, keeping the large band format in the forefront of popular jazz music. Our goal is to balance presentation of the Golden Age of Big Band style with contemporary arrangements.
- We strive to educate, enrich, and entertain through our music.
- We create a non-competitive and non-intimidating environment to achieve the greatest satisfaction for all in playing Big Band music.
We do this through an immersive one-week “Jazz Camp” for adults in beautiful Northwest Washington State. The camp culminates in a public performance on the final evening. (Review the songs performed in our program for the 2024 concert.)
Established over 35 years ago in Port Townsend, WA, Northwest Big Band was originally part of a larger organization that offered diverse experiential learning opportunities for adults. NWBB became a separate non-profit organization in 2008 under the direction of Elmer Ramsey, professional trumpet player and Professor Emeritus of Music at California Lutheran University. Passing away in 2018, Elmer’s passion for music lives on in the long-time NWBB alumni who return to play and learn, year after year.
