About Me

Earl Phillips is an active educator, performer, and composer/arranger in the greater Philadelphia area. Since 2007, Mr. Phillips has served as a Band Director at Cherokee High School, in Marlton, NJ, where he directs the school’s jazz ensembles, music technology, and music theory programs. Earl is also the Jazz Trombone professor at Rowan University and also teaches classes in composition / arranging, and jazz rehearsal techniques.

Earl was awarded Cherokee’s “Teacher of the Year” award for the 2025-2026 school year and has also been awarded the NJAJE Educator of the Year / Lifetime Achievement award winner for the 2020-2021 school year. He developed and conducts the “Evesham Jazz Machine” which is a community program for local middle school students to develop their understanding and appreciation of jazz music. His passion and dedication for his students and the content have doubled the size of the jazz program at the school and has also developed the size of the music technology and music theory programs at Cherokee. Earl also directs the Pit Orchestra for the school musicals and serves as the “Voice of Cherokee” calling home football games and emceeing pep rallies and large-scale school functions.

At Rowan University, Earl has taught undergraduate and graduate students in trombone performance,

composition/arranging, and jazz pedagogy. He has been a frequent guest soloist with the Rowan University Jazz Ensemble and has written and adapted curriculum throughout his tenure. Earl actively represents Rowan at local, state, and national jazz festivals as an adjudicator and also is a sought after clinician for local and regional jazz groups of all sizes and ages.

Outside of the classroom, Earl remains active as a board member of the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education (NJAJE.), serving as the communications director and running the NJAJE social media channels. He volunteers his time at the Living Jazz Archive at William Patterson University where he engraves original manuscripts, specifically the music of Thad Jones, into notation software for preservation. Earl also is the leader and chief composer / arranger of the Earl Phillips Big Band and maintains an active playing career with the various groups he plays with. Prior to working at Cherokee, Earl was active on the recording scene and recorded with Will Smith, Kid Cudi, and Boyz II Men among others. Earl’s participation with John Legend on “So Amazing” in 2005 was an album that won 2 Grammy Awards and afforded him the opportunity to be a voting artist member for the Grammys. Earl was also the director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the High School Grammy All Star Band and has directed the All South Jersey and All Central Jersey Jazz Ensembles and served as a guest clinician with the New Jersey All State Jazz Band. 

Earl Phillips resides in West Deptford, NJ with his wife, Jennifer, and their 3 children, Madeline, Zachary, and Luke. For more information about Earl, to hear the EPBB, to purchase music, and/or to connect with him on social media, please visit www.earlphillipsmusic.com.