Newark Academy’s Jazz Band Chameleon Placed Second in 2018 Essentially Ellington
Congratulations to Chameleon for placing second in the nation at the 23rd Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival! This is the fourth time Newark Academy has made it to the finals and the first time NA came in the top three. Taking the stage at Lincoln Center, Chameleon, led by NA's Jazz Director Julius Tolentino, brought the house down with their performances and our students captured the audience and wouldn't let go. The weekend's performances left us speechless and in awe of this inspiring group.
NA garnered a number of awards in the individual categories: Cosimo Fabrizio ’18 was one of three players to win Outstanding Guitar; Allen Zhu ’18 was one of the nine recipients of Outstanding Tenor Saxophone; Samantha Powell ’19 was recognized for Outstanding Vocals, along with three other singers; Vikram Bala ’20 received Honorable Mention, Bass; and Teddy McGraw ’20 was among the five recipients of Outstanding Drums.
Watch the performances:
An independent school for students in grades 6-12