Ben Patterson is one of the most easily recognizable trombonists and big band arrangers today. His fiery approach to the trombone, whether from the lead chair or solo mic, has excited listeners around the world for more than two decades.
From his early years in his hometown of Sapulpa, OK, Ben was drawn to sounds of all kinds. He had a drive to compose tunes by the age of eight. When he started trombone in 6th grade, he found his voice. Sapulpa’s excellent directors pushed him to improve and exposed him to great music. Ben continued his education at the University of North Texas, where he continued to develop his playing chops. While at UNT, Ben started a lifelong friendship with Alan Baylock, who encouraged and helped hone his composing and arranging skills.
For over twenty-two years, Ben was a member of the The Airmen of Note, where he rose to the positions of lead trombonist and music director. While with the “Note,” Ben performed hundreds of concerts and clinics all over the U.S. and abroad, recorded 16 albums (featuring many of his compositions and arrangements) worked with countless guests artists, and even entertained U.S. presidents. As the band’s musical director, Ben produced ten Jazz Heritage Series recordings with guests including such artists as Branford Marsalis, Randy Brecker, and Christian McBride. Ben also produced three stand-alone recordings for the Note, including Veterans of Jazz, Air Power, and Global Reach, which expanded the band’s repertoire with music from around the world.
In 2016, Ben launched the Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra with its first recording, Vital Frequencies featuring Chris Potter. The band includes some of the Washington D.C. area’s top musicians and has performed at Blues Alley and for the Washington Performing Arts Society Gala. In 2020, Ben launched The Ben Patterson Group, featuring long-time musical collaborators Shawn Purcell (guitar), Paul Henry (bass), and Todd Harrison (drums). The group’s 2021 Origin Records release, Push the Limits, which also featured pianist Chris Ziemba, climbed to the JazzWeek Top 50 radio chart. The group’s newest release, The Way of the Groove, was released in 2022 and featured Harry Appelman on organ and fellow UNT graduate Luis Hernandez on tenor saxophone.
In the Washington D.C. area, Ben has been a regular lead player and soloist with bands such as the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra, Fran Vielma’s Pan American Orchestra, the Steve Williams Mighty Little Big Band, the Afro Bop Alliance Big Band, and The Joe McCarthy/Vince Norman Big Band. He was also a long-time member of the popular Latin group, Sin Miedo led by Didier Prossaird.
Ben’s furious technique and rhythmic diversity come from a strong personal belief that we should never limit ourselves to the ordinary or let others define for us what is possible. He is inspired by musical risk-takers and relishes a fearless approach to music.
Ben delights in sharing his love and enthusiasm for music with musicians of all ages and experience levels, building the connections that tie the musical community together, and helping the next generation of musicians fan the flames of their internal spark. In addition to performing countless clinics and master-classes for high schools, festivals, and the Jazz Education Network Conference, Ben has served as the jazz trombone adjunct faculty for The University of Maryland and the director of the W.T. Woodson High School Jazz Band, and currently serves as the Master of Jazz Trombone instructor for The University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Shawn Purcell, originally hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator based in the Washington DC region. Purcell has shared the stage, recorded with, and/or toured with Walt Weiskopf, Pat Bianchi, Terell Stafford, Regina Carter, Steve Fidyk, Chip McNeill, Sean Jones, Steve Allee, Brian Charette, Tim Warfield, Lucas Pino, Peter Erskine, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Jim Pugh, Eddie Daniels, Chris Potter, Jason Tiemann, Nicholas Payton, National Symphony Orchestra and many others. Purcell has appeared at prominent jazz venues and festivals both across the U.S. and internationally. His performance credits include legendary venues like The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Smalls, The Jazz Kitchen, The Bop Stop, Con Alma, Rite of Swing Jazz Cafe, Sharp9 Gallery, Keystone Korner Baltimore, An Die Musik, The Blue Wisp, JazzB in São Paulo and Aalt Stadhaus in Luxembourg as well as major festivals and venues such as Umbria Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Fest, Indy Jazz Fest and Savannah Jazz Festival.
As a recording artist, Purcell’s guitar work can be heard on nearly 40 albums. Notable recordings include The Whirl (Chip McNeill), Heads Up! and Allied Forces (Steve Fidyk), Two Seconds to Midnight and Prime Time (Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra featuring Doc Severinsen), Push the Limits and The Way of the Groove (Ben Patterson), Vital Frequencies (Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra featuring Chris Potter), as well as projects with The Capitol Bones, Mike Tomaro, and multiple releases by vocalist Darden Purcell, including her latest release Love’s Got Me In a Lazy Mood (OA2 Records). His debut as a bandleader, Symmetricity, came out in 2019 on Armored Records, followed by 180, released on Origin Records in 2022.
Purcell dedicated over 20 years as a member of the military big bands in Washington DC. From 1996-2004, Purcell was the guitarist in the US Air Force jazz ensemble, The Airmen of Note. During his time with “The Note,” Purcell has performed around the globe including England, Germany, Turkey, Luxembourg, The Azores, Belgium, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Kuwait, and Bahrain. He recently finished his tenure as the guitarist with the Washington DC based US Navy Band “Commodores” jazz ensemble.
As an educator, Purcell currently serves as adjunct professor of jazz guitar, jazz combos and jazz arranging at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). He has served on the jazz faculty at West Viriginia University, Towson University, Middle Tennessee State University, and was a Visiting Lecturer in Jazz Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, under the direction of David Baker. He has led master classes at major universities throughout the country. He has also served on the faculty for camps such as Mason Summer Jazz, The National Jazz Workshop, Maryland Summer Jazz Camp, JazzWire Summer Summit, Frisco Arts Jazz Camp, and The National Guitar Workshop. Purcell has also penned educational articles for Premier Guitar, Jazz Guitar Life, and DownBeat Magazine.
Purcell holds a BM in Recording Arts & Sciences from Duquesne University, an MA in Music from Middle Tennessee State University, and a DMA in Jazz Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.