On Saturday, January 31, 2026 we will welcome Senior Master Sgt. Christine Purdue Jones and The Capitol Bones as our featured guest artists at our 16th trombone workshop at JMU! | Senior Master Sgt. Christine Purdue Jones is a trombonist with The United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the Ceremonial Brass, a position she has held since 2013.

An active soloist, Jones was an Artist at the 2021 International Trombone Festival. Additionally, she has been a featured soloist at the American Trombone Workshop on numerous occasions. She has also appeared as a guest artist and clinician at universities and programs across the country, including Ball State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Washburn University, and the International Women’s Brass Conference.

Established in 1990, The Capitol Bones’ inaugural performance was in a restaurant called Firenzi’s in Arlington, VA not long after Matt Niess joined The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC in 1988. Their first big concert was at the International Trombone Festival at the Eastman School of Music in 1991 after winning the Kai Winding Competition sponsored by the ITA. That competition was the impetus that motivated Matt to forge the group into a trombone band like no other. This was followed by concerts at schools, concert halls, and festivals for the next 30 years. The current trombone section has been intact for well over ten years, using the “Stan Kenton model” for The Capitol Bones: two bass trombones and three tenor trombones. Matt explains, “For me, the bass trombonists are the power and stability that the rest of the section locks onto and builds from. Jeff Cortazzo and Jerry Amoury are the bass trombonists and the tenors are Jay Gibble, Jim McFalls, and myself. This is my ultimate dream team!”