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A summer of jazz

Summer Camp 2026

From the rehearsal room to the Gem Theater stage — moments from a week of learning, listening, and making music together.

Photography by Houston Gonzales

  • A director cues a standing ensemble of young brass and saxophone players in purple camp shirts onstage.
  • A student writes on a small whiteboard while an instructor holds it steady during class.
  • An instructor leads a classroom discussion with seated students and their instruments.
  • An instructor raises a hand to direct students rehearsing together behind music stands.
  • Students rehearse with mallet percussion, drums, and upright bass in a classroom.
  • A standing saxophonist plays onstage alongside seated trombone, trumpet, guitar, and rhythm players.
  • Campers and adults seated around tables listen to a speaker with a microphone during a luncheon learn.
  • Young musicians in purple camp shirts applaud onstage with their instruments and music stands.
  • A drummer sits at the drum kit while a fellow camper applauds beside a pair of congas.
  • A trumpet player performs with a small ensemble of saxophones, keyboards, and rhythm players onstage.
  • A seated tuba player performs beside a saxophonist, with a percussionist at the mallet instrument behind them.
  • A row of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone players performs together in purple camp shirts.
  • A student plays the drum kit beside an upright bassist, with a tuba in the foreground.
  • A standing saxophone soloist plays into a microphone in front of the seated ensemble.
  • A saxophone soloist stands behind a music stand while other saxophonists sit alongside.
  • A student plays mallet percussion behind a microphone, surrounded by seated ensemble members.
  • A trumpet soloist stands above the music stands while seated saxophone players follow along.
  • A saxophone player stands to perform a solo among rows of seated musicians and music stands.
  • A standing trombonist extends the slide above the seated saxophone section during a solo.
  • A wide stage view shows a seated jazz ensemble with piano, saxophones, brass, and percussion.
  • A trombone soloist plays with the slide extended toward a microphone beside the seated horn section.
  • A standing trombone player performs at the front of the stage while the seated ensemble looks on.
  • A student holding a saxophone speaks into a microphone beside the seated ensemble and pianist.
  • A trumpet soloist plays into a microphone among seated saxophone and trombone players.
  • A student plays electric guitar behind the seated saxophone section near the grand piano.
  • A trombone soloist stands at a microphone while two seated trombonists watch from behind music stands.
  • A student plays the grand piano at the side of the stage beside a keyboard and the seated horn section.
  • A drummer and a standing percussionist perform together behind cymbals, reflected in a glossy piano lid.
  • A close view of a student pianist's hands on the keys, reflected in the polished side of the grand piano.
  • A side-stage view of guitar, upright bass, and drums with the musicians reflected in the piano lid.

About Summer Instrumental Combo Camp →

Kansas City Jazz Academy

American Jazz Museum A program of the American Jazz Museum

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