Get ready to time-travel. The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra lights up BIMA with the snap, sway, and wink of early jazz, played straight from original-era charts. Think hot horns, syncopated banjo strums, and melodies that once packed dance halls from Storyville to Harlem.

Formed and led by Sammuel Hawkins since 2016, the Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra maintains one of the largest collections of early jazz and popular music orchestrations on the West Coast. Their repertoire blends beloved standards with rare gems from the pioneers of American music.

Presented by the Historic Music Preservation Project, the orchestra is flexible in size—ranging from a quartet to a 14-piece ensemble—and performs more than 50 times annually. HMPP is currently developing an Education and Outreach program to bring this music into schools across the Pacific Northwest.

“Ne Plus Ultra,” Latin for “above all else,” was a favorite phrase of the 1920s and ’30s—perfect for a band that captures the very best of early jazz. Don’t miss this lively celebration of jazz history—come experience the energy and spirit of the Roaring Twenties in person!

Artwork: William Ingham, Blue Prime (detail), 1988, Oil on canvas, 59.2”h x 55.2”w, BIMA Permanent Art Collection, Gift of Kemp & Barbara Crawford. Photo by Art Grice.