The JMU Jazz Band, founded in 1979 and currently under the direction of Mr. Greg Thomas, is a select group of approximately 20 students per semester. Membership, determined by audition at the beginning of each semester, is open to all JMU students and typically includes students from majors across campus. Students study repertoire that includes all major styles of big band jazz, as well as student arrangements and compositions. The ensemble has performed with a variety of well-known jazz artists. Recent guests include NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, Joe Sullivan, Mike Titlebaum, Jim White, and Steve Wilson.

The JMU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Chuck Dotas, was founded in 1971 and is the premier jazz group in the School of Music at James Madison University. The ensemble has performed at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in Washington, DC, the Montreux International Jazz and Blues Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Virginia Music Educator's Association annual convention. The JMU Jazz Ensemble has been featured with the United States Navy Commodores Jazz Ensemble, the United States Air Force Airmen of Note Jazz Ensemble, and at the East Coast Jazz Festival in Rockville, Maryland. The ensemble has performed with many well-known jazz artists, including Dick Oatts, John Clayton, Greg Gisbert, Nate Smith, Shelia Jordan, Mike Holober, Joseph Eckert, Clay Jenkins, John D’Earth, Chris Merz, Mike Titlebaum, and Jim White.