Jazz Composers Alliance Presents the JCA Orchestra
Jazz Composers Alliance presents the JCA Orchestra in a program of new music for a 21-piece jazz orchestra, written by resident composers David Harris, Darrell Katz, Bob Pilkington, and Mimi Rabson. The ensemble combines composed material with improvisation and draws on influences from jazz history and musical traditions around the world.
Founded in 1985, the JCA Orchestra has been a fixture of Boston’s creative-music scene since its first performance in December of that year. It has released 12 critically acclaimed CDs, premiered more than 125 works, and performed or recorded with guest performer-composers including Sam Rivers, Julius Hemphill, Dave Holland, Maria Schneider, Henry Threadgill, Steve Lacy, and Oliver Lake. The orchestra’s unusual instrumentation includes a string trio, vocalist, flute, and French horn alongside the larger ensemble, enabling music that ranges from extended forms and group improvisation to carefully notated pieces and free extemporization.
When: Sunday, November 8, 2026
Showtimes: Doors open at 1:45 PM, and the performance begins at 2:00 PM. The event listing runs through 3:45 PM.
Tickets: $20 admission; $15 for students and seniors
Program: New music for the 21-piece jazz orchestra by David Harris, Darrell Katz, Bob Pilkington, and Mimi Rabson
Performers: The JCA Orchestra, a 21-piece ensemble featuring a string trio, vocalist, flute, and French horn
Venue: The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Background: The Jazz Composers Alliance was founded to support, develop, and promote composition in the jazz idiom. The JCA Orchestra was created to advance that mission and is known for adventurous performances that connect composition and improvisation.
Recognition: The orchestra’s recording “Wheelworks” appeared on DownBeat’s 2016 best-of list. Critics have praised the group’s energetic ensemble playing, imaginative soloists, broad stylistic range, disciplined improvisation, and ability to move between moody blues, structured compositions, and intense free-form passages.