About Me
Eric Ordway was born July 27, 1978 and is a native from Northeast Harbor Maine. As a freshman in high school he began to win many awards and competitions on his trombone. Some of those awards were Maine’s top Jazz trombone soloist for combo and Maine’s top trombone soloist for big band. From winning these awards he was offered to play with a Maine all star combo ran by former Blood Sweat and Tears trumpetist, Chuck Winfield. Tanglewood and Interlochen were two prestigious music camps. Eric Ordway auditioned for and was accepted to both. He chose to attend Interlochen. His senior year in high school he auditioned for the Boston Youth Symphony and was accepted. This group toured Italy and performed with many great artist in the Boston area. Following his graduation from high school he enlisted into the Navy as a musician. He was sent to boot camp at RTC Great Lakes and then was transferred to the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia. After accelerating out of the school he reported to Navy Band New Orleans.Auditioning for colleges, he was awarded the Stan Kenton Scholarship to attend University of North Texas. He then got out of the Navy and pursued a Jazz study degree at University of North Texas. While in Texas, he began to freelance steadily throughout the Dallas and Fort Worth Metro-plex with such notable groups such as the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. He has been a two time finalist in the Eastern Trombone Jazz Competition and received second place. He rejoined back into the Navy Music program and was sent to the Navy Band Northwest, where he is the leader of the Dixieland Band and Musical Director of "Cascade Big Band." He has become a very active freelance musician and clinician in the Northwest where he has performed with Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, Jay Thomas Big Band, Groovin’ Higher Jazz Orchestra, Olympia Jazz Senators Big Band, Blue Moon Howlers, Trombanga, Ray Ohls Quintet, Solomon Douglas Swingtet, Tim Malland Quintet, Kings of Swing, Olympic Trombone Orchestra, and sitting in with many greats as they travel thru Seattle. He is now living in New York where he is a member of the United States Military Academy Band Jazz Knights.Eric Ordway has performed with many great artist throughout his musical career such as: Pete Chrislieb, Bobby Shew, The Ojays, Jay Thomas, Slide Hampton, Bill Ramsay, Dan Higgins, Stefan Karlson, Lou Fisher, Steve Haughton, Clay Jenkins, Walt Johnson, Mike Smith and Andy Martin to name a few.
