WATCH: CCM Jazz Orchestra performs with Ashlin Parker at Cincinnati's Freedom Center
The March 3 concert recording is now available to watch on demand
Celebrate the start of the Juneteenth holiday weekend with a look back at UC College-Conservatory of Music's Jazz Orchestra concert at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Watch the CCM Jazz Orchestra perform the music of New Orleans with guest artist Ashlin Parker, trumpet; the full concert is now available for on-demand viewing.
A companion to the Freedom Center’s Black History Month programming, the New Orleans Mardi Gras Concert was a celebration of music and culture, originally presented at the Harriet Tubman Theater on March 3, 2023. Directed by CCM Director of Jazz Studies Scott Belck, DMA, the concert featured New Orleans-based jazz trumpeter Ashlin Parker.
Parker is based in New Orleans, where he is sought after for big band, small ensemble and solo performances. His trumpet has taken him around the world, including South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. Parker leads the Trumpet Mafia and has played with legendary artists Aretha Franklin, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Herlin Riley, Roland Guerin, Leroy Jones, Derek Douget, Adonis Rose, Dr. John, Karl Denson, Igor Butman, Nicholas Payton, Rafael Saadiq, Dee Dee Bridgewater, the O’Jays and more. He is a Grammy Award-winning artist and has played on more than 30 albums with several featured solos.
Special thanks to National Underground Railroad Freedom Center President and Chief Operating Officer Woodrow “Woody” Keown, Jr. for working with CCM Jazz on this concert. Special thanks to Laura Gentry and Jazz Alive for sponsoring and setting up in-school community outreach programs for Cincinnati Public Schools.
The Mardi Gras in New Orleans concert video is produced by CCM Digital in association with Joel Crawford Recording. Camera and music recording by Joel Crawford. Editing by Lauren Dull and Ryan Stringer. Performance recorded on March 3, 2023 at the Harriet Tubman Theater at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
Click the links in the titles to watch the performances of each piece or watch the full concert video.
Hullabaloo
Composed and arranged by Alan Baylock
Featuring soloists: Alex Nicodemus, piano; Matthew Wallenhorst, tenor saxophone; Matthew Frazzetto, trombone; Colin Palmieri, alto saxophone; Jack Phillips, trumpet; Zyele Gaither, trombone
Tiger Rag
Composed by Eddie Edwards, Nick LaRocca, Henry Ragas, Tony Sbarbaro, Larry Shields, Harry DeCosta
Arranged by Nicholas Payton
Featuring soloists: guest artist Ashlin Parker, trumpet; Eric Lechliter, trumpet; Matthew Frazzetto, trombone; Alec Yeaste, sousaphone
New Orleans
Composed by Hoagy Carmichael
Arranged by Ed Petersen
Featuring soloists: Emily Jordan, vocals; Ashlin Parker, trumpet
Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta
Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington
Featuring soloist Joseph Ulmer, tenor saxophone
Petite Fleur
Composed by Sydney Bechet
Arranged by Ricardo Pascal
Featuring soloists: Emily Jordan, vocals; Matthew Wallenhorst, soprano saxophone; Ben Troyer, guitar
Mr. Dudley
Composed and arranged by John Fedchock
Featuring soloists: Alec Davis, baritone saxophone; Ashlin Parker, trumpet
Pocono Git Down
Composed and arranged by Rock Hirsch
Featuring soloists: Alec Davis, baritone saxophone; Ben Troyer, guitar; Max Gibson, trumpet; Kaleb Swedlund, alto saxophone; Jack Phillips, trumpet; Alex Nicodemus, piano; Richard Wilson, drums
Harlis Laughing
Composed by Harold Battiste
Arranged by Ed Petersen
Featuring soloists: Ashlin Parker, trumpet; Colin Palmieri, alto saxophone
Beautiful Old Ladies
Composed by Harold Battiste
Arranged by Ed Petersen
Featuring soloists: Ashlin Parker, trumpet; Charlie Merk, trumpet
What a Wonderful World
Composed by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
Arranged by Ed Petersen
Featuring soloists: Emily Jordan, vocals; Ashlin Parker, trumpet
New Orleans Second Line
Composed and arranged by Duke Ellington
Featuring soloists: Matthew Wallenhorst, clarinet; Charlie Merk, trumpet; Zyele Gaither, trombone
Scott Belck, music director
Saxophone
- Colin Palmieri, lead alto
- Kaleb Swedlund, alto
- Matthew Wallenhorst, tenor
- Joseph Ulmer, tenor
- Alec Davis, baritone
Trumpet
- Annaleigh Babcock, lead
- Max Gibson, split-lead
- Max Levowitz*
- Jack Phillips
- Charlie Merk
Trombone
- Matthew Frazzetto, lead*
- Zyele Gaither
- Bryson Hunt
- Alec Yeaste, bass
Rhythm Section
- Alex Nicodemus, piano
- Ben Troyer, guitar
- Alex Frazzetto, bass*
- Zach Gutman, bass*
- Alex Merk, drums
- Richard Wilson, drums
- Emily Jordan, vocals*
*Graduate Assistants
What is Juneteenth?
In honor of the federal government’s decision to establish Juneteenth as a day that all Americans celebrate, the University of Cincinnati will observe Monday, June 19, 2023, as a university holiday.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate and gather to reflect on the past and look to the future. Learn more about Juneteenth in this interactive digital experience by the National Museum of African American History and Culture: nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth.
Additional Contacts
Curt Whitacre | Director of Marketing/Communications | UC College-Conservatory of Music
whitaccp@ucmail.uc.edu | 513-556-2683
Related Stories
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Engineering magnets for a cleaner future
July 20, 2026
The United States is heavily reliant on imported rare-earth materials to make permanent magnets. Ugochukwu Philip Ochieze, materials science student at the University of Cincinnati, is studying how to use common materials to create permanent magnets, eliminating the need for expensive and scarce rare-earth materials. Pursuing his PhD, Ochieze was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
UC has connection to city of legend behind 'Odyssey'
July 17, 2026
WVXU highlights a big connection between Cincinnati and director Christopher Nolan's new movie "The Odyssey." UC Classics Professor Carl Blegen led excavations at Troy in the 1930s. UC has a vast collection of photos and other records from the ambitious archaeological project.