The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra
The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra was formed in January of 2016, and since September of that year has operated under the leadership of Sammuel Hawkins.
Maintaining one of the largest collections of early Jazz and popular music orchestrations on the West coast, the orchestra presents a repertoire that reflects both familiar music from the era in addition to obscure tunes created by the pioneers of Jazz and American popular music.
Presented by the Historic Music Preservation Project, the ensemble is flexible in size and orchestration, ranging from quartet up to 14 members, presenting more than 50 times each year. Currently, the HMPP is in the process of creating an Education and Outreach program to bring The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra into schools across the Pacific Northwest. For more information, click here.
"Ne Plus Ultra" is derived from Latin, translated colloquially as "above all else," popular in the 1920s and 30s to market top-of-the-line products.
For a complete list of performances, please visit here.