In 2001, saxophonist and Pew Fellow Bobby Zankel founded the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound (WWS), a big band to perform his compositions and arrangements. The members of the ensemble have recorded alongside such masters as Cecil Taylor, Odean Pope, Steve Coleman, Johnny Coles, Mike Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, and Uri Caine. With Center support, WWS commissioned and premiered an evening-length composition entitled SoundPath from 2010 NEA Jazz Master Muhal Richard Abrams, co-founder of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
