Hamline Jazz Ensemble is a 25-piece jazz band open to both non-majors and majors.  The Jazz Ensemble meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Jazz Combo, a small and select group taken from the membership of the full ensemble, rehearses separately and functions primarily as a student-directed group.  Recently there have been two active combos featured on Jazz Band concerts.  In addition to the end-of-semester concert, the Jazz Band and Combos host a high-school Jazz Fest and a small college Jazz Fest at Hamline’s Sundin Hall, with such well-known clinicians and judges such as Nachito Herrara, Pete Whitman and Dean Sorenson. They participate yearly in the Eau Claire Jazz Fest where individual music students have regularly earned “Outstanding Musician” awards and in 2006 the Jazz Combo placed second in the overall competition.