Expect an evening of swinging rhythms and timeless melodies as the Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet honors the legendary Benny Goodman. With virtuosic clarinet work, tight ensemble interplay, and authentic big band energy scaled to a quartet, this tribute brings the King of Swing’s music to life with fresh spirit and style.
Jazz at CAM: Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet Tribute to Benny Goodman
April 2, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Jazz at CAM with the Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet: Tribute to Benny Goodman
Thursday, March 5 | 7 PM
Join us for Jazz at CAM as we present the Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet and their Tribute to Benny Goodman!
Jazz at CAM is must for jazz lovers in the Wilmington area!
CAM Café is open for dinner the night of jazz performances. If you’d like to have dinner before the show, please reserve a table by calling (910) 777-2363. If attending the jazz show, we recommend making your reservation time no later than 6 PM to ensure you make it to the performance on time.
TICKETS
CAM Members: $40
Not-Yet Members: $60
Students and Educators: $15
ABOUT THE MUSICIAN
Gregg Gelb is a clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, arranger, composer, and educator. He directs the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble (TYJE), founded the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra (HOCJO) and Jazz Society, and co-founded the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra. He also leads several jazz groups, including his Jazz Trio/Quartet, La Fiesta Latin Jazz Band, Second Line Stompers, and the Gregg Gelb Swing Band.Gelb received the Raleigh Medal of Arts in 2018. Under his leadership, TYJE became the first and only North Carolina group to reach the national Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Festival finals, placing second in 2016 and remaining a finalist from 2017–2024. He has received a Jazz Composers Award from the North Carolina Arts Council and four Regional Artist grants.
Since founding HOCJO in 1990, Gelb has served as Artistic Director, shaping its mission to promote jazz education and performance. As a Visiting Artist at Central Carolina Community College (1989–1991), he developed a program highlighting jazz’s significance. HOCJO presents free school and community concerts and has featured renowned artists such as Cecile McLorin Salvant, Houston Person, Sonny Fortune, Renee Marie, Valery Ponomarev, and Stanley Jordan. A standout project is JazzTales, a collaboration with writer Trinity Bursey, combining big band music with storytelling.
Throughout his career, Gelb has frequently performed with the North Carolina Symphony, serving as saxophone soloist for John Williams’ Escapades (2014, 2004). His Swing Band performed A Journey Into Jazz with the Symphony in 1999, later broadcast on WUNC-TV. He also played Bird with Strings with the Durham Symphony (2014, 2015).
Gelb has taught music since 1976, working in public and private schools, colleges, and jazz programs. He teaches at the UNC Chapel Hill Summer Jazz Camp and has been interim jazz director at UNC Greensboro and NC State. He has also taught at Central Carolina Community College, Francis Marion University, Fayetteville State University, and UNC Chapel Hill.
Gelb holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from UNC Greensboro. His dissertation, 1959 Jazz, explores jazz history and recordings from that pivotal year. He has produced numerous jazz recordings and received grants for jazz performances and projects.
Jazz at CAM is sponsored in part by
And through the generosity of these individuals:
Dr. William Malloy
Ms. Maxine Terry