Daggerboard & Erik Jekabson Orchestra

Biography

Erik Jekabson, born March 23, 1973, is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player, composer, arranger, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began his musical journey in the 1990s, touring in Japan and spending 1994 to 1998 in New Orleans, where he performed with Kermit Ruffins, Eddy Louiss, and the jam band Galactic. He studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2006, during which time he toured with John Mayer and appeared on shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman.[3][2]

Jekabson's career encompasses versatile composing and arranging for symphony orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, BBC Radio Orchestra, and Utah Symphony, as well as vocalists like Madeleine Peyroux, Ani DiFranco, and Kenny Washington, and jazz ensembles such as The Daggerboard – Erik Jekabson Orchestra, Erik Jekabson String-tet, and his Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, which holds a monthly residency at Berkeley’s Jazzschool. As a trumpeter, he has toured with John Mayer, Galactic, and Illinois Jacquet, and recorded with artists like Taj Mahal, Maceo Parker, Boz Scaggs, and Kermit Ruffins. He has released eight albums as leader under his Jekab’s Music label, including Crescent Boulevard (2010), Anti-Mass (2012), and One Note at a Time (2020) by the Erik Jekabson Sextet III. Daggerboard & Erik Jekabson Orchestra represents a collaborative orchestral project with composer Gregory Howe, evolving from Throttle Elevator Music, featuring large ensembles blending jazz, classical, and minimalist influences, as heard in The Axes, Vol. 2 (2024).[1][2][3]

Splitting time between performance, composition, and education, Jekabson teaches at Bay Area universities and directs the Young Musicians Program at the California Jazz Conservatory. His style defies conventions, drawing from Gershwin-like personal expression amid discussions of Bartók, with New Orleans rhythms evident in works like Crescent Boulevard and cinematic orchestral pieces evoking Prokofiev for projects like The Axes series. His legacy lies in masterful bandleading and tireless innovation across jazz and orchestral boundaries.[1][3]

Fun Facts

• Daggerboard & Erik Jekabson Orchestra's The Axes Volume II was composed by Jekabson and Gregory Howe, performed on the Summer Solstice 2024 at The Hillside Club, with rehearsal tracks from Dresher Studio included on the LP.[2]
• Jekabson co-composed the score for the documentary Exiled and has arranged Bob Dylan's 'Forever Young' for his orchestra.[1][2]
• His Electric Squeezebox Orchestra maintains a monthly residency at Berkeley’s Jazzschool, showcasing his bandleading prowess.[1]
• While at San Francisco Conservatory, he toured with John Mayer and performed on national TV late-night shows.[3]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Gregory Howe - co-composer and frequent writing partner (Daggerboard projects including The Axes Volume II (2024), Throttle Elevator Music) [2000s-2024]
• Mads Tolling - violinist in orchestra and chamber groups (Anti-Mass (2012), The Axes Volume II (2024), Daggerboard) [2010s-2024]
• Dayna Stephens - saxophonist in chamber and orchestral works (Crescent Boulevard (2010), Anti-Mass (2012)) [2010-2012]
• John Santos - percussionist and frequent collaborator (Crescent Boulevard (2010), One Note at a Time (2020)) [2010-2020]
• Kenny Washington - vocalist collaborator (arrangements and compositions) [ongoing]
• Art Lande - pianist in co-led quartet (The Silver Fox (2022)) [2012-2022]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia