The Sun Prairie Jazz Combo is an extracurricular extension of the Sun Prairie Jazz Ensemble in the Sun Prairie public schools located just outside the Wisconsin capitol city of Madison. The group has traveled throughout the Midwest and Germany and has earned numerous awards and performed at several conventions, including the Midwest Clinic and the Wisconsin State Music Convention. Additionally, they have been featured statewide at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Mary Lou Williams tribute concert, Madison Jazz Festival, and Isthmus Jazz Festival. They have been an “Essentially Ellington” finalist fourteen times, placing third three times. Each year the band also hosts the annual Sun Prairie Jazz Festival, an Essentially Ellington Regional festival which attracts bands from across the midwest and clinicians from across the country.

Over the past several years students have had the opportunity to host and interact with great jazz musicians including: Clark Terry, Terell Stafford, Ed Thigpen, Arturo Sandeval, Victor Goines, Tatum Greenblatt, Lauren Sevian, and many more.  We are thankful to our mentors Ron Carter, Reggie Thomas, and Rick Haydon for their guidance and inspiration. We wish to thank our community and parents for all of their support.