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DISTRICT 5 JAZZ BAND

Welcome!

We are a Boston-based (district 5) jazz sextet playing music together since 2017. We thrive on playing live music and bringing fun and celebration to all who hear us play. Our repertoire tends to land in the great jazz era of hard bop, with a heady dose of funk and some friendly blues. All this has us playing material from such great composers as The Crusaders, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Roy Hargrove, Joe Henderson, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jobim, and many others. Come join us at one of our shows!

Videos & Pics

Guillermo Ortiz shredding some funk guitar at this year's NOSH holiday party. Dec. 2022

District 5 celebrating the music of Joe Zawinul at Berklee's David Friend Recital Hall. Nov. 2022

An early video of District 5 at The Art Lounge.

Upcoming Shows

About Us

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Rebecca Pagano - Tenor Sax & Flute

Saxophonist and flutist Rebecca Pagano has performed in concert halls and jazz venues throughout New England, including Sanders Theatre, Jordan Hall, Berklee’s David Friend Recital Hall, the POST Underground jazz club, and New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Hotel. She has performed with the Jennifer Hruska Project, Chris Powers Big Band, the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, The Concord Band, the Indian Hill Big Band, and the Mood Swings Jazz Orchestra. She was a soloist with the Bridgewater State University Wind Ensemble, and has premiered multiple new classical works for saxophone. An active performer, she can be heard regularly in the Boston area with the jazz sextet District 5.

Rebecca earned both an M.M. and an M.M.Ed from The Boston Conservatory, and a B.M.E. from Indiana University. She has studied with Ken Radnofsky, Eugene Rousseau, and Otis Murphy. She currently studies jazz in New England Conservatory’s Continuing Education Jazz Program, improvisation with Mike Tucker, and teaches band, jazz band, and music at Wayland Middle School.

Jennifer Hruska - Piano & Synths

Jennifer Hruska, pianist, keyboardist and composer, comes to District 5 with a diverse musical background. She has led groups of her own jazz compositions, composes contemporary classical music, and in the 1990's was a member of the well-known world electronic band D'Cuckoo, which toured extensively the US. An audio engineer by day, Jennifer's self-produced CD "The Underground Forest" is available on iTunes. Jennifer holds a BS in Music Education from the University of Illinois and a Master of Composition from Boston Conservatory. She currently teaches Electronic Production and Design at Berklee College of Music.

Ed Lesser, drummer for District 5 Jazz Band

Ed Lesser - Drums

Ed Lesser is District 5's combination of Art Blakey, Charlie Watts, and the Polka King. Ed began drumming at an early age, playing in several polka bands in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania. In college he played with the University of Pittsburgh jazz band under the direction of Nathan Davis. After college he was active in several rock and roll bands playing originals and cover tunes, along with small jazz ensembles. For the last ten year he's studied jazz drumming at the New England Conservatory of Music. Ed currently studies with the amazing Rafael Barata.

John Hotchkiss - Bass

John Hotchkiss came to District 5 with an extensive jazz and classical background. In the jazz domain, he has worked with leaders Bruce Torff and Nat Simpkins and performed with Greg Hopkins, Mark Kross, David Arteaga, Gordon O'Connell, Bobby Hebb, among others. He also served as principal bassist for the Concord Orchestra, the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and MassOpera. A Berklee graduate, John studied jazz bass with Witt Brown and John Rapucci, and classical bass with Warren Benfield, Nick Tsolainos, and Pascal Delache-Feldman. John has also performed in master classes for Harvie S., Rufus Reid, Don Palma, Ed Barker, and others.

Peter Orne - Trumpet

Peter Orne has been performing in clubs and restaurants in the Boston area since 2017. A graduate of another Berklee—U.C. Berkeley—he has studied jazz improvisation with Anthony Braxton, Ed Blackwell, Hal Crook, Bryan Lynch, and Carlos Averhoff, Jr., among others, and trumpet with Bill Whitener, Bob Finley, Dan Rosenthal, and Jason Palmer. He is on the board of the Arlington (MA) Jazz Festival.

Guillermo Ortiz - Guitar

Guillermo Ortiz is the latest member of District 5 and we couldn't be more excited to have him aboard. A native from Mexico, graduate of Berklee College of Music, composer, and just all around fantastic guitarist.

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