The New Washingtonian Small Jazz Ensemble

The Washington Jazz Arts Institute (WJAI) was founded in 1998 by Davey Yarborough and his wife Esther Williams to further his dream of teaching music in a nurturing, mentoring atmosphere. A natural outgrowth of Davey's success at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in DC, this dream was born of a desire to inspire young people into careers in music. Our mission and commitment is to the education, presentation and documentation of Jazz Music in and for the Washington, DC community. The Institute is devoted to the preservation of the past, the promotion of the present and preparation for the future of Jazz in DC. The Institute will work to firmly fix through oral and written history the contribution of Jazz music to the cultural and social development of Washington, DC, and the contribution of Washington musicians to the creation of this uniquely American music form.