Ken Schaphorst

In 1989 Ken Schaphorst began leading a stimulating big band that served as an important training ground for a variety of top young talents. In the 1980s Schaphorst (who plays trumpet and keyboards but has primarily been a writer) relocated to New England. He studied at Swarthmore College, the New England Conservatory, and Boston University. In 1985 he helped found the Jazz Composers Alliance, an organization that showcased the compositions of advanced jazz writers. In 1991 Schaphorst became the director of jazz studies at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving the...