For nearly a decade, the JazzU program has identified the top middle and high school jazz talent in the St. Louis area and focused on teaching improvisation in a small-group setting. The JazzU Big Band is Jazz St. Louis’s first foray into creating an all-star student big band, which returns to Ferring Jazz Bistro stage on October 29. Students audition for the JazzU program each spring, which this year attracted more than 130 to the auditions. From that 130, 54 were accepted into the larger program.The JazzU Big Band represents the top 17 students in the JazzU program and is led by Jazz St. Louis’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, Phil Dunlap.