Commercial Music and Jazz Ensembles

Jazz Big Band

The CCU Jazz Band features traditional big band instrumentation and vocalists, covering everything from Count Basie to Charles Mingus, Radiohead, heavy metal, and contemporary jazz. Currently under the new direction of professor Emilio Terranova, the CCU Jazz Band has a rich history, and has performed with bassist Victor Wooten, singer-songwriter and guitarist Becca Stevens, saxophonists Walter Smith III and Jeff Coffin, and harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy.

Jazz Combo

Director: Jesus Fuentes

The CCU Jazz Combo performs all styles of jazz including Bebop, Hard Bop, fusion, modern, contemporary, and Latin Jazz with a focus on improvisation. Students also contribute original compositions and arrangements for the ensemble. The group has worked with guest artists including Dave Douglas, Victor Wooten, Derico Watson, and Jeff Coffin. The group plays professional gigs extensively in the Grand Strand Area and has recorded albums with national distribution. In 2016 the ensemble won a DownBeat student music award in the Undergraduate Pop/Blues category, and performed at Montreux, Vienne, and Umbria Jazz Festivals in Switzerland, France and Italy.

Rock/Pop Band

Director: Steve Martinez

Led by CCU Music Faculty member Stevie Martinez, the CCU Rock/Pop ensemble features student arrangements of early rock hits, classic rock, metal, modern rock, and blues. The band, which consists of singers, wind players, guitarists, keyboardists, a bassist, and a drummer, learns songs both by ear and by written music. Arrangements are memorized and performed at venues on and off-campus. The Spring Rock/Pop Band performance is consistently a sold-out event at CCU’s largest concert venue.

Funk/R&B Ensemble

Director: Cole Davis

Through the exploration of Black American Music (BAM), the CCU R&B Ensemble performs student arrangements of classic R&B standards, funk jams, quintessential soul tunes, and contemporary hits. The band, which consists of singers, wind players, guitarists, keyboardists, a bassist, and a drummer, learns songs both by ear and by written music. Arrangements are memorized and performed at venues on and off-campus.