CMU celebrates its enduring jazz legacy

Robbie Smith is a professor of music and jazz studies at Central Michigan University, and he credits three people with igniting his passion for jazz: his father, Miles Davis and Jack Saunders, the legendary music director at CMU.

As a CMU freshman in the 1980’s, Smith first performed as a trumpet soloist in Jazz Lab I after Saunders came calling. Apparently, the lab’s established trumpet soloist had dental surgery, leaving the group in a pinch.

“And I was like ‘okay,’ but you know I just sort of regurgitate Miles Davis. But Jack put me in, which was a big deal because my brother came here before me and played in Jazz Lab too,” Smith said.

Smith now serves as the director of Jazz Lab I. He relishes seeing students light up when they discover the power, history and essence of the music they are playing.

“The story of jazz is uniquely American. It's something we can't forget about because it's so important as its own genre that keeps changing and evolving. It's alive, really, jazz.”

Jazz has been living and evolving at CMU for nearly 70 years, and CMU’s deep jazz tradition continues to this day.

The Swinging Chips

One of the earliest documented jazz performances at CMU was at a fraternity musical competition on January 18, 1956, in Finch Fieldhouse. “The Swinging Chips” played what was referred to as “dance music” that evening to the delight of the students who paid 75 cents to attend.

Another iteration of “The Swinging Chips” debuted in March of 1958 as a club with a purpose of “acquainting music students with dance band work so that they will know how to organize high school dance bands,” according to a CM Life article.

In 1960, “The Swinging Chips” earned national recognition as one of the top 30 jazz groups in a nationwide collegiate jazz fest held at Notre Dame University.

From big bands to big names

In mid-century America, as the evolving genre of jazz gained popularity, major acts played gigs at colleges and universities as they toured the country. Central Michigan College, as it was known at the time, was one of their stops.

Louis Armstrong, also known as “Satchmo,” first played CMU as part of the first Panhellenic-Interfraternity Greek Week in 1958. Armstrong and his band played a public jam session before providing the music for a Friday night Greek Week dance.

In 1966, Armstrong was initially on the bill for that year’s Top Talent Pop Concert Series but was delayed by a snowstorm. Weeks later, Louie Armstrong and his All Stars played to a packed Finch Fieldhouse audience of more than 3,000 students, faculty and area residents.

Also part of the concert series was legendary jazz group the Dave Brubeck Quartet, who played CMU for their second time in 1966. Brubeck returned to campus again with his sons in 1974 to perform an evening of jazz.

CMU students and Jazz

Jazz at CMU is not limited to acts known around the world. Students continue to have many opportunities to play jazz. For decades, CMU students have been able to participate in campus ensembles Jazz Lab I and Jazz Central. There are also other opportunities for student musicians, including the JazzBone ensemble and jazz percussion groups.

The most well-known and longest-performing jazz group is Jazz Lab I, created by Jack Saunders in 1971. It focuses on performing traditional and contemporary jazz works, while giving students an opportunity to have their original compositions and arrangements performed.

“Jack saw the interest and he also realized that it was a great recruitment tool to have a jazz band go out and play for schools. He did that right away and it started bringing students,” Smith said.

An annual CMU tradition is Jazz Weekend, also created by Saunders, in 1973. It brings together high school and junior high jazz bands and combos from across Michigan, along with CMU students and faculty, for a celebration of jazz music.

While many students who are involved with jazz at CMU go on to careers in music education, some have gone on to illustrious musical careers.

Gene Smith ’74, is a trombonist who has performed with Woody Herman and Rosemary Clooney, and toured with the National Jazz Ensemble. He has also returned to campus as a guest performer for Jazz Weekend.

Grammy award-winning musician Andrew Dost ’05, former member of the band “fun.,” performed in jazz groups while attending CMU. In addition to winning a Grammy, Dost has performed on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

Mark Holen ’70 is a jazz and flamenco percussionist who has played professionally all over the world. He returned to CMU in 2024 to make the largest financial commitment ever to the CMU School of Music, endowing a professorship in percussion.

CMU shines at the Detroit Jazz Festival

Once again in 2025, CMU is sponsoring the Detroit Jazz Festival, a four-day event held over Labor Day weekend. CMU specifically supports the Collegiate Combo Competition which celebrates and supports collegiate and university jazz programs. It's a significant part of the festival's commitment to nurturing the next generation of jazz musicians.

“We see our sponsorship as a way to make certain that we’re exposing this music and the culture of jazz to future generations,” Rhonda Welsh, executive director for CMU’s Detroit Outreach said. “We are helping to engage in the vibrancy of this great city that is integral to our success as a university, so it makes sense to support the jazz festival, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

With the support of sponsors like CMU, the Detroit Jazz Festival is free to music fans looking to revel in the artistry and improvisation of jazz legends and rising stars.

Keeping jazz alive at CMU and around the world

Back at the CMU School of Music, Robbie Smith continues to drive the beat of jazz music inspired by his father, Miles Davis and Jack Saunders. Through classes, rehearsals, jam sessions and performances, he is helping to keep a musical tradition alive with a genre that is alive itself. 

“Jazz is a living organism,” Smith said. “You can play a song with the same people and five minutes later, play the same song and it could be totally different. In fact, with the improvisation involved, it will be different. Undoubtedly.”

And it’s the next generation of aspiring artists that Smith is encouraging to keep improvising to ensure jazz’s evolution stays in motion.

“There's so many great younger musicians around the world, every culture, every country.  Hopefully they'll keep it going. American music is now in the hands of the rest of the world to preserve.”