ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND
All-State Jazz Band
The Colorado All State Jazz Band exists to inspire and empower student musicians through exceptional jazz education and performance. By uniting top high school talent with renowned jazz educators and clinicians, we create transformative opportunities for artistic growth, mentorship, and musical excellence—cultivating the next generation of jazz artists and lifelong ambassadors of music.​​
2027
The 2027 Colorado All-State Jazz Bands, sponsored by the Colorado Bandmasters Association, feature two outstanding ensembles: the Colorado All-State Jazz Band, directed by Chip Crotts, and the Small School All-State Jazz Band, directed by Remy Le Boeuf. All auditions must be submitted via video by 5:00 PM on Monday, November 16, 2026, and a $30 fee is required for each audition. Students selected must pay a $50 participation fee and be available to attend all rehearsals and performances during the CMEA Clinic/Conference, held January 27–30, 2027, at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
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The All-State Jazz Band performance will take place on Saturday, January 30, 2027, at 2:00 PM.
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Eligibility Requirements
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Band Director must be a current member of CBA and CMEA
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Open to students in grades 9-12 who are members of their HS jazz ensemble for the entire academic year
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If attending HS does not offer a jazz ensemble, students must be a member of an approved band class offered by their HS.
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If a student is unable to participate in their HS jazz ensemble, or if no curricular band class exists, students must attain administrative and director approval to participate.
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Students must meet CHSAA guidelines for eligibility
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Selected students are required to be accompanied by a school-approved chaperone
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$50 participation fee for selected students
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All-State Jazz Band is open to any student in grades 9-12 regardless of enrollment (all students are eligible for this ensemble regardless of school size).
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Small School All-State Jazz Band is open to students in grades 9-12 from schools with 1100 students or less (Check enrollment here: CHSAA HS Enrollment).
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Large School Jazz Band Guest Director
Dr. Chip Crotts,
Georgia Institute of Technology​
Dr. Chip Crotts is a multi-dimensional, Grammy-nominated trumpeter and educator with a career spanning nearly four decades. Currently the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech, Dr. Crotts has previously held tenured faculty positions at Samford University and Jacksonville State University.
As a world-class performer, he has toured and recorded with an exhaustive list of legends, including Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Arturo Sandoval, Maynard Ferguson, and the Manhattan Transfer. His versatile artistry has taken him to iconic stages such as Birdland, Blue Note NY, and Carnegie Hall.
A leading authority in jazz pedagogy, Dr. Crotts possesses significant All-State Jazz experience, having conducted All-State Jazz Ensembles in Colorado (2019), Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Texas. His leadership extends to serving as a past Vice-President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators.
Beyond the concert hall, he is the Brass Caption Head for the 21-time DCI World Champion Blue Devils. Dr. Crotts holds a DMA in Trumpet Performance with a Jazz Emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin and is a dedicated Bach Performing Artist and Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician.
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Small School Jazz Band Guest Director
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Remy Le Boeuf,
University of Denver
Remy Le Boeuf is a Grammy-winning composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into contemporary classical and indie-rock realms. Le Boeuf is also the founder of the jazz orchestra, Assembly of Shadows, and the Chief Conductor of the Nordkraft Big Band. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton
Marsalis, Linda Oh, Dayna Stephens, Haim, Knower, JACK Quartet, and his twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the experimental quintet, Le Boeuf Brothers.
Le Boeuf's list of honors include commissions from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, as well as a 2026 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition, the BMI Charlie Parker Jazz Prize, and the Copland House Residency Award. Le Boeuf is the Director of Jazz and Commercial Music Studies at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.
Audition Material
NEW! 2027 Auditions:
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Chromatic scale is no longer required and Set A, B, & C Etudes are no longer being used
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Students are now required to learn two unaccompanied standards in addition to their play-a-long tracks
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Lead trumpet and bass trombone must submit the addition etudes at the end of their audition video (not separately)
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Lead trombone and bari sax DO NOT need to submit additional material