Elegant but shapeshifting original compositions and a quirky sense of humor (and a Bach tango), a pleasant change from your usual big band fare. (New York Music Daily)

Seguine and Baker approached big band like a live oil painting. Colors were arranged by vibrancy and emotional content, not necessarily by section (high instruments with other high instruments, for example). The co-leaders took a controlled but liberalized approach to big band, where Bach, Dave Holland and the poetry of Rainier Marie Rilke are all fair game. (Dan Lehner, All About Jazz)

Orchestra Bio:

The Erica Seguine/Shannon Baker Jazz Orchestra is an 18-20 piece jazz orchestra that performs original, unique, and sometimes quirky musical landscapes in the New York City area. In addition to the traditional big band instrumentation, their orchestra employs many woodwind colors, euphonium, voice, and sometimes vibraphone. Their music crosses genres from jazz, to classical, to rock, to world.







Photos by Julianne Karr.

You can find out about us by reading on, or you can Find_out_more_about_us_from_the_eyes_of_a_reviewer (review of Oct. 20th, 2011 concert by Dan Lehner of All About Jazz)

The Orchestra is based in NYC and has performed in venues such as the Brooklyn Tea Lounge, Somethin' Jazz Club, Trumpets Jazz Club, and the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, NY. Seguine also previously led her own jazz orchestra in the Albany, NY area, performing at places like The Linda (WAMC Performing Arts Studio), and the Schenectady Muddy Cup in the Proctor's Theatre Arcade.

About Erica Seguine:

Erica Seguine, originally from Albany, NY, is a composer, arranger, and pianist currently living, writing, performing, and teaching in the New York City area. She has penned over 25 charts for Jazz Ensemble, in addition to several charts for Studio Orchestra, Jazz Combos, Chamber Groups, Vocal Groups, and Film. Seguine's composition expertise has won her a few awards, including 1st Place in the International Zurich Jazz Orchestra Composition Competition, a 2011 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award, and a 2012 ASCAP Plus Award. In 2012 Erica was one of 8 composers selected internationally for the Metropole Orchestra Arranger's Workshop, led by Vince Mendoza where she wrote an arrangement of Joe Zawinul's/Kurt Elling's "Time To Say Goodbye" for Kurt and the Metropole Orchestra. Her pieces have been performed by her own jazz orchestra, her own chamber group "Community of the Spirit," the Zurich Jazz Orchestra, Todd Coolman's Quintet, the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and Studio Orchestra, Bernie Williams and the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra, Weapons of Jazz Destruction, and others.


Seguine holds a BM in Jazz Writing (Composition) with high distinction from the Eastman School of Music, and an MM in Jazz Arranging from William Paterson University. Her composition and piano teachers have included Jim McNeely, Bill Dobbins, Rich DeRosa, Harold Danko, Raymond Torres-Santos, Tony Caramia, and Adrien Cohen. She is a current member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop in NYC.

About Shannon Baker:

Composer, arranger, saxophonist/reed player Shannon Baker made the move from warm Tampa, FL to the New York City area in 2009. Since her move, she has performed in several different ensembles in the city while also writing inventive, original music for various instrumentations. Her compositions/arrangements have been performed by her co-lead jazz orchestra, Bernie Williams and the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra, and the University of North Florida’s top jazz ensemble. Baker graduated with a BM in Jazz Performance from the University of North Florida and earned an MM in Jazz Arranging from William Paterson University. Over the years, her teachers have included Jim McNeely, Bunky Green, Rich DeRosa, Laura Dwyer, and Rich Perry.

Bach Adagio a la Tango, J.S. Bach, re-arranged and expanded by Seguine. Performed by the Erica Seguine/Shannon Baker Jazz Orchestra at Miles Cafe in NYC, June 17th, 2011. Tenor Sax solo by Steve Kortyka.

Tribal Chant, composed by Seguine. Performed by the Erica Seguine/Shannon Baker Jazz Orchestra at Miles Cafe in NYC, June 17th, 2011. Solos by Kate Victor- Voice, Dan Lehner- Trombone, Shannon Baker- Soprano Saxophone, Adrian Moring- Bass, Ryo Noritake- Drums.

States, composed by Shannon Baker. Performed by the Erica Seguine/Shannon Baker Jazz Orchestra at Miles Cafe in NYC, June 17th, 2011. Solos by Billy Test- Piano, Kate Victor- Voice, Eric Burns- Guitar, Adrian Moring- Bass, Ryo Noritake- Drums.

Also check out clips from our performances:

B Flick (Ed Wood Goes to the Beach) (Shannon Baker) (2012). Caleb Curtis, Alto Saxophone.

Dawn's Rise (Erica Seguine) (2012). Steve Kortyka- Clarinet Soloist.