The Establishment
Past performance
Nashville · Big band jazz · Philanthropy
Big sound.
Bigger purpose.
The Establishment is a highly skilled 20-piece big band. All performance proceeds help fund music education for the next generation.
Jazz that gives back.Big band · Swing · Dance music
Since 1970big-band music with purpose
100%of proceeds support students
Mid-Southperformances with purpose
Why we play
Every note
pays it forward.
We perform for the love of big band music—and to help talented students keep learning it. The Establishment donates its performance proceeds to music education scholarships, historically supporting individualized instruction at Vanderbilt Blair School of Music and the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School.
On the calendar
Come hear
what’s next.
No upcoming dates are posted yet. Explore three recent concerts from The Establishment’s official Eventbrite archive.
Official events on Eventbrite ↗Event archive ↗
Past performance
The Establishment Big Band, featuring Jamey Simmons
Past performance
Establishment Big Band, featuring John Fedchock
Watch & listen
The band
in motion.
Selected performances from Scott Steward’s public archive. Our new official channel is ready for future releases.
Follow our official YouTube channel ↗
The musicians
Serious players.
Shared purpose.
The Establishment’s members are experienced musicians selected by audition and united by disciplined weekly rehearsals, professional standards, and a love of the music.
Known roster information is shown alongside placeholders for positions awaiting updated member details. Confirm the current lineup before launch.
Leadership & vocals3 members
Director · Tenor saxophone
Member to be announced
Vocals
Member to be announced
Vocals
Member to be announced
Reeds5 members
Reeds · Multi-instrumentalist
Jeff Byrd
Joined in 2012. A member of Soul Incision, Jeff has performed on saxophone, flute, clarinet, bassoon, tuba, banjo, piano, and guitar, including appearances with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra and Little Anthony and the Imperials.
Reeds
Member to be announced
Reeds
Chris Genovese
Saxophone section member.
Baritone saxophone
Member to be announced
Reeds
Geoff Pfeifer
Saxophone section member.
Trumpets5 members
Trumpet
Scott Steward
Joined in 2014. A Dove Award winner and veteran lead trumpet player whose credits include Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, Louie Bellson, Bill Watrous, Natalie Grant, Casting Crowns, Carnegie Hall, and the stage production “Blast.”
Trumpet · Organization president
Dr. Greg Weaver
Joined in 1996 and served as the organization’s president. Outside the band, he is a radiologist and chestnut farmer near Nashville.
Trumpet
Dr. Jack Wengrosky
Dr. Jack Wengrosky earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Studio and Jazz Trumpet Performance from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He has recorded 35 albums and performed with Cheap Trick, Estelle, Take 6, Barry Manilow, the Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Pops, Hugh Jackman, Gloria Estefan, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. As lead trumpet, soloist, and clinician with the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, he toured 49 states and more than 40 countries, performing over 2,000 concerts, presenting hundreds of high school and college clinics, and appearing with seven major symphonies, including the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Boston Pops. He also holds an M.M. and earned his B.A. at Elmhurst College. A Nashville recording artist, he previously served as musical director of the Music & Arts Big Band and Miami Arts Charter School in Homestead, Florida. He currently teaches brass and jazz vocals in the Nashville area.
Trumpet · Organization Treasurer
Justin Emmert
Trumpet section member.
Trumpet
Ben Classon
Ben Classon has been playing trumpet professionally for nearly twenty years. Career highlights include five years touring with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus band; three tours with the Broadway show “Blast!”; tours with an array of other Broadway productions; and performances with the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra, Walt Disney World, B.B. King’s Blues Club, and various cruise ships. He is currently in frequent demand as a freelance trumpeter and educator in Nashville, Tennessee.
Trombones5 members
Trombone
Member to be announced
Lead trombone · Soloist
Greg Cox
One of the band’s lead soloists, recognized on the legacy site for solid lead playing, creative improvisation, and an upbeat spirit.
Trombone
Member to be announced
Bass trombone
Member to be announced
Trombone
Member to be announced
Rhythm4 members
Keys
Member to be announced
Rhythm section
Member to be announced
Guitar
Member to be announced
Bass
Member to be announced
From the archive
A history
of making
music.
01
Main-stage performance
02
Formal big-band engagement
03
Summer concert
04
Community performance
About the Establishment
Professional music.
Philanthropic heart.
The Establishment is a nonprofit, Nashville-based big band performing jazz and dance music throughout the Mid-South. The band works for the love of the music and in support of a new generation of musicians.
That mission never means compromising the music. Members are carefully auditioned, rehearse rigorously each week, and share a commitment to professionalism at its best.
Start a conversation →Hire the Establishment
One big band.
Many kinds of nights.
Give your guests the unmistakable energy of a live 20-piece ensemble. We shape the program around the room—from an elegant dinner set to a full swing dance floor or a featured concert—and every engagement helps support students of music.
Start a booking conversationWeddings & celebrations
Cocktail-hour atmosphere, dinner music, romantic ballads, featured vocals, and dance-floor favorites tailored to the pace of your day.
Festivals & concert series
A polished concert program with driving ensemble numbers, jazz features, guest-artist possibilities, and broad audience appeal.
Galas & community events
Bring scale and occasion to nonprofit benefits, corporate gatherings, civic celebrations, fundraisers, and special presentations.
What you’ll hear
A program shaped
for the room.
Typical programs draw from swing-era favorites, jazz standards, dance music, ballads, vocal features, contemporary big-band arrangements, and guest-artist spotlights.
Representative selections
- When I Fall in Love
- East of the Sun
- Just Friends
These selections are currently featured in the band’s public performance archive. Final repertoire and set lengths are planned for each engagement.
From inquiry to downbeat
- Tell us about the event.Share your date, location, audience, schedule, and the atmosphere you want.
- We shape the performance.We’ll discuss program style, set lengths, guest needs, staging, and sound requirements.
- Confirm the details.Once the scope is agreed, we’ll finalize the engagement and prepare the music for your room.
Bring the music in
Book the
big band.
Festivals, celebrations, community events, and dance floors—book a polished 20-piece ensemble and make your event part of the mission.
Start a booking inquiry ↗Invest in music education
Back the
next note.
Performance proceeds support scholarships that help musically talented students receive individualized instruction.
Support the mission ♥Let’s connect
Have a stage,
an idea, or a question?
bookings@theestablishment.net ↗
For bookings, partnerships, performances, press, or ways to support music students.