"The best jazz repertory band in the country."
The New Yorker

“Deftly led by David Baker, (SJMO) offered fascinating rarities by Benny Carter, Bill Holman and George Russell, each played with as much skill as authenticity.”
Chicago Tribune

As the jazz orchestra in residence at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra enriches the public’s understanding and appreciation of jazz and it's development within the context of American history. The orchestra’s 17-piece unit, interprets and presents rare, familiar and new arrangements of jazz classics from the premier leaders of Big Band Jazz Orchestras--Ellington, Goodman, Basie, Lunceford and major contributors to the jazz legacy including Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter, Oliver Nelson, Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams, and Quincy Jones. Special smaller ensemble performances are also available. Led by renowned composer, conductor, musician, and educator, David Baker, Chairman of the Jazz Department and Distinguished Professor of Music at Indiana University, who conducts the orchestra and leads educational outreach activities, the orchestra is truly a dynamic national treasure.