The following live competition performances were recorded at the 14th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival held at Rose Theater in New York City, May 8-10, 2009. The tracks are listed below in order of competition performance in MP3 streaming format, playable on Windows Media Player, iTunes, WinAmp, and most other standard media players.

In February 2009, these 15 finalist bands were selected from 107 bands across North America who submitted a recording for the Essentially Ellington competition. In March and April 2009, each of these finalist bands received an in-school workshop with a Jazz at Lincoln Center clinician before traveling to New York. These competition performances are the culmination of a school year spent studying and performing the music of Duke Ellington and Benny Carter.

For more information on the 14th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival, including the results of the competition and outstanding soloist awards, please see the press release.

Agoura High School, Agoura Hills, CA
Symphony in Riffs (5:16)
Jeep's Blues (5:05)
Movin' Uptown (4:30)

North Scott High School, Eldridge, IA
Symphony in Riffs (4:44)
Blue Ramble (3:24)
Movin' Uptown (3:39)

State College Area High School, State College, PA
Moon Over Cuba (4:35)
Isfahan (4:04)
Symphony in Riffs (4:25)

Kingston High School, Kingston, NY
Symphony in Riffs (3:56)
Moon Over Cuba (5:40)
Perdido (5:45)

Newport High School, Bellevue, WA
Moon Over Cuba (3:56)
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (5:40)
Symphony in Riffs (5:45)

Foxboro High School, Foxboro, MA
Symphony in Riffs (4:17)
Prelude to a Kiss (4:38)
Perdido (6:19)

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Movin' Uptown (4:15)
Jeep's Blues (6:09)
Rockin' in Rhythm (4:59)

Calabasas High School, Calabasas, CA
Symphony in Riffs (4:39)
Movin' Uptown (3:17)
Bli-Blip (3:04)

Badger Union High School, Lake Geneva, WI
Symphony in Riffs (3:59)
Blue Ramble (3:50)
Jeep's Blues (6:26)

Garfield High School, Seattle, WA (First Place)
Symphony in Riffs (4:08)
Black and Tan Fantasy (6:23)
Perdido (5:57)

Eau Claire Memorial High School, Eau Claire, WI (Third Place)
Symphony in Riffs (4:08)
Moon Over Cuba (5:01)
Happy-Go-Lucky Local (6:39)

Beloit Memorial High School, Beloit, WI
Symphony in Riffs (5:24)
Black and Tan Fantasy (7:38)
Perdido (5:05)

Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA
Symphony in Riffs (4:06)
Happy-Go-Lucky Local (5:26)
Perdido (6:15)

Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA (Second Place)
Moon Over Cuba (5:20)
Sophisticated Lady (4:24)
Symphony in Riffs (5:58)

New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL (Honorable Mention)
Symphony in Riffs (4:43)
Jeep's Blues (4:48)
Perdido (6:30)