Description
NYYS Jazz Debut Album on Vinyl Available for Pre-Order Now! Vinyls will be shipped so it arrives on or before March 6th when the album officially launches.
In the wake of the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra’s history-making Grammy win for its debut album, the organization is turning the spotlight to another milestone: the first-ever album from NYYS Jazz. Titled Lineage, the release captures not only a moment of arrival for the ensemble, but the deeper musical inheritance that defines jazz itself — a genre built on mentorship, tradition, and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next.
Lineage, under the director of Michael Thomas - The Robert J. Levine Jazz Program Director, positions NYYS Jazz as the natural next chapter in an organization that has become synonymous with excellence at the highest level of youth music-making. Where the Symphony Orchestra’s Grammy-winning debut shattered expectations of what young musicians can achieve on a global stage, NYYS Jazz’s first album expands that legacy across genre, honoring the roots of jazz while showcasing how today’s emerging artists are shaping its future. The album draws from jazz’s rich canon — swing, blues, improvisation — while giving space for individual voices to emerge, reflecting the living, evolving nature of the music.
Instrumentalists: Joshua Quddus (alto saxophone); Levi Ginsburg (alto saxophone); Connor Sobieri (tenor saxophone); Andrew Chun (tenor saxophone); Giancarlo Crapanzano (baritone saxophone); Emma Kelner (trumpet); Edward Shen (trumpet); Bell Thompson (trumpet); Tamia Smith (trumpet); Basil Moore (trombone); Thomas Leenhouts (trombone); Javin Ganewattage (trombone); Paul Ferrara (bass trombone); Jojo Roses (guitar); Scott Robert (piano); Lucas Giordano (acoustic bass); Zev Vestel (drums)
Full List of Tracks:
1. The Compass
Soloists: Andrew Chun (tenor saxophone); Thomas Leenhouts (trombone)
Composer: Alan Ferber Year: 2017
Publisher: Nethermead Music (SESAC) Year: 2017
2. Delay
Soloists: Lucas Giordano (bass); Joshua Quddus (soprano saxophone)
Composer: Ariel Sha Glassman Year: 2024
Publisher: Ariel Sha Glassman Music (ASCAP) Year: 2024
3. Tiptoe
Soloists: Emma Kelner (trumpet); Zev Vestel (drums); Levi Ginsburg (alto saxophone)
Composer: Thad Jones Year: 1963
Publisher: Kendor Music Inc Year: 1974
4. Infant Eyes
Soloists: Basil Moore (trombone); Bell Thompson (trumpet); Zev Vestel (drums); Joshua Quddus (soprano saxophone)
Composer: Wayne Shorter (arr. Michael Thomas) Year: 1963
Publisher: Miyako Music Year: 1966
5. Cottontail
Soloists: Tamia Smith (trumpet); Giancarlo Crapanzano (baritone saxophone); Jojo Roses (guitar)
Composer: Duke Ellington Year: 1940
Publisher: EMI Robbins Catalogue Inc Year: 1940/1968
6. Ebony
Soloists: Joshua Quddus (soprano Saxophone); Scott Robert (piano)
Composer: Linda Oh Year: 2019
Publisher: Linda May Han Oh Music (ASCAP) Year: 2019
7. Wildwood
Soloists: Jojo Roses (guitar); Javin Ganewattage (trombone)
Composer: Alan Ferber Year: 2013
Publisher: Nethermead Music (SESAC) Year: 2013
8. Splanky
Soloists: Edward Shen (trumpet); Paul Ferrara (bass trombone); Lucas Giordano (acoustic bass)
Composer: Neal Hefti Year: 1968
Publisher: Jazz Lines Foundation Inc Year: 2021
9. A Shade of Jade
Soloists: Scott Robert (piano); Connor Sobieri (tenor saxophone); Zev Vestel (drums)
Composer: Joe Henderson (arr. Alan Baylock) Year: 1968
Publisher: EMI Unart Catalog Inc Year: 2020
