Trill 101
In spring 2024, the joined with Brooklyn-based composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist and the Troy, NY creative agency for a unique collaboration called Make Jazz Trill Again, inviting Skidmore students and members of the greater Capital Region community to an open jam onstage in the Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall.
Melanie and team returned to Skidmore for a residency this past fall to continue their work with students and faculty, with the goal of generating content and conversation to later be used in a multimedia and multidisciplinary performance called Trill 101 premiering at Zankel on March 1, 2025.
Make Jazz Trill Again Spring Jam Session in the Arthur Zankel Music Center
Charles launched (MJTA) as a cultural movement to rejuvenate the independent jazz scene in the digital age. What began as a modest hashtag in the mid-2010s has since evolved into a vibrant network producing and curating performances, a podcast series, and live events that engage with contemporary issues of access, equity, education, and technology within the arts.
The premiere of Trill 101 marks the culmination of this year-long, Skidmore-commissioned, multidisciplinary project developed by Charles and the MJTA family in collaboration with Skidmore students and faculty. Through a series of class visits, podcast and video recordings, and jam sessions, the project explored the intersections of jazz, Afro-diasporic musical traditions, and contemporary artistic practice.
Trill 101 reimagines jazz as a living, dynamic art form, shaped by both its rich history and its ongoing evolution. Charles will perform alongside her band – Zacchae'us Paul (keys), Rogerst Charles (saxophone), Barry Stephenson (bass), Bendji Allonce (percussion), and Diego Ramirez (drums) – and a cast of Skidmore student singers, musicians, and dancers. Together, they will lead an unforgettable celebration of creativity and community, blending genre-defying originals with a richly layered medley of traditional Afro-diasporic rhythms and Black spirituals like Deep River.
Throughout the performance, video interludes produced by Collectiveffort will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, featuring student jam sessions, workshops, and mentorship moments that took place during MJTA’s fall residency at Skidmore. This performance highlights the collaborative spirit of the project and its commitment to fostering an inclusive and dynamic artistic dialogue.
Attend THE event:
This free, public concert is the culmination of a year-long artistic collaboration between Melanie Charles, her band, and Skidmore students across music, dance, and the humanities. Don’t miss this singular, transformative event — an electrifying fusion of jazz, community, and creative storytelling.
Thanks to our sponsors
Trill 101 is presented in partnership with the department of Music and the office of Special Programs and is cosponsored by Black Studies, Gender Studies, Intergroup Relations, IdeaLab, Arts Administration, and Management & Business, with collaborators in the dance and theater departments. Funding is provided by the Zankel Music Fund and the McCormack Artist-Scholar Residency Fund.
Special thanks to the for opening your doors to us to Make Jazz Trill Again.
Photos from the Make Jazz Trill Again jam session at the Frederick Allen Elks Lodge