Do you want to play Jazz in the Denver Metro Area?
CJW providers an outlet for people who already play an instrument that are looking to join one of several big bands or small combos.
11/21/2025
Last night one of the Colorado Jazz Workshop bands played at an event held by Colorado Center on Law and Policy.
The musicians were Mitchell Kelly on piano, Howard Slavin on guitar, Mike Watson on bass, Joel Abrian on tenor sax, and Shane Chavez on trumpet. The guys sounded great.
Added: Mike Zislis on drums.
01/26/2025
Listen to an interview of Dr. Hugh Ragin, one of our Colorado Jazz Workshop instructors. He and his band Messengers of Peace will be performing at Dazzle on Tuesday, January 28, at 6:30 PM.
>>DENVER, Colo. — Internationally acclaimed jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator Dr. Hugh Ragin brings an enlarged version of his band “Messengers of Peace” to Dazzle on Tuesday, January 28 at 6:30. The eleven players will present jazz improvisation around the broad themes of Patriotism, Black History and Peace, including “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Dr. Ragin visited The Morning Set by phone to describe how his college course at CU-Boulder on music and consciousness expresses itself on the jazz stage.
Live & Local: Dr. Hugh Ragin and his Creative Orchestra at Dazzle | KUVO Jazz Dr. Hugh Ragin calls in to The Morning Set to share more about his upcoming concert at Dazzle.
Save the dates! Our Colorado Jazz Workshop groups will be performing in Denver on the evening of Sunday, April 28 (Wednesday combo and big band); the evening of Tuesday, May 21 (Saturday noon combo and the Tuesday combos); and the evening of Sunday, June 2 (Saturday big band and Saturday morning combo). Details to follow very soon.
01/05/2023
Hugh Ragin, the subject of this article, is one of Colorado Jazz Workshop's talented instructors. (CJW is mentioned in the article.)
>>The love of teaching and education was never far from Ragin’s plans, earning a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado (UC), Boulder, with teaching stints at Oberlin, the Colorado Jazz Workshop, and in the Denver Public School System, as three examples. Currently teaching Jazz Studies at UC Boulder, he is a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Ragin is a prolific composer, whose pieces have been performed by many including David Sanford who used Ragin’s A Prayer for Lester Bowie as the central compositional piece in his own big band recording of the same name.
To say high critical acclaim is universal and noteworthy is an understatement. Jazz historian Francis Davis describes Ragin as, “a trumpeter with very few peers in terms of imagination or technical command.” Scott Yanow wrote, “virtually every Hugh Ragin recording is well-worth exploring,” and critic Chris Kelsey stated, “(Ragin has a) well-rounded technique and abundant imagination.” Going on Kelsey declares Ragin, “a harmonically daring player, (combining) the clear, ringing tone of a classical trumpeter with the chops and rhythmic ingenuity of a top-notch bebopper.” A true jazz master, Ragin himself strives, “(to) be part of a continuum of growth in music education and music performance.”
Thomas Erdmann has an article published Erdmann, professor of music, had an article published in the professional trumpet journal.
10/06/2022
The Ninth Annual CJW Jazz Festival is October 29, at Comedy Works South.
Have you purchased your ticket yet? The ticket allows you to come and go all day. Choose whichever of the nine groups (three big bands and six combos) you'd like to hear. Or listen to them all.
Good food too!
Details and ticket purchases at the link. We hope to see many of you on the 29th.
Colorado Jazz Workshop Colorado Jazz Workshop performs at Comedy Works South on October 29, 2022!
