The St. PJ’s Jazz Collective presents Spring Jazz Concert
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul & St. James
New Haven
May 11, 2026
“Amen!” shouted a member of the audience.
Now, that’s not an exclamation you often hear at a jazz show.
This Spring Jazz Concert, however, was being held at The Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James (St. PJ’s). Belying its beautifully traditional appearance, the church has a modern edge. They have their very own jazz band!
Every Sunday, music director/pianist Dylan Rowland and saxophonist Dontae James lead St. PJ’s congregation in worship infused with the improvisational groove of jazz. Rowland and James belong to The PJ’s Jazz Collective, which performed on Monday night, one of three shows they host each year. Led by Rowland, the band exuberantly performed an array of commanding pieces in the serene sanctuary.
In their hands, jazz standards like Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie” were soulful romps and classic worship songs like Thomas A. Dorsey’s “Precious Lord Take My Hand” became blues-soaked meditations. They also performed compelling original compositions.
One original emerged as a particular highlight.
“I Watched Satan Fall from Heaven” opened with a cool confidence, notes oozing smooth as caramel from Dontae James’ alto saxophone. Languorous phrases moved with a sensual grace, eventually transforming as notes cascaded over each other.
Rowland twinkled the keys as Alec Peterson tapped a steadily jaunty drum beat. Patrick Gordon’s bass line supplied a steady pulse.
Soaring saxophone runs followed, echoing the otherworldly golden glow that bathed the band in the wood-paneled sanctuary. James walked off to give space to the bass, drums and piano. Rowland’s fingers danced pirouettes across the piano, Gordon deftly coaxed resonant tones from his bass, and Peterson wielded his sticks with a light, yet propulsive touch.
Their playing became more emphatic as James walked back to the forefront, spouting lyrical phrases from the sax that spiraled up to the church’s vaulted ceiling. Peterson had an elastic drum solo moment, then James followed with long plaintive notes that splintered into piercing squeals. The saxophone then let out a dazzling run. As the song ended, James held a sustained note that faded out softly like the fading spark of a firecracker.
The composition possessed a striking musical maturity. James wrote it at the tender age of 16. “The harmony was heavily inspired by the great Herbie Hancock’s compositions,” he explained. The song’s title came to him while he was reading the Bible and stumbled across the verse, Luke 10:18: And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
James’ talent is undeniable, so it’s no surprise that he made it through Juilliard’s intensive process. He will be studying jazz saxophone there in the fall. St. PJ’s provided a scholarship to aid him in his studies. His artistic future seems destined to soar.
“I am looking forward to growing as a musician and as person at Juilliard,” said James. “I also wish to teach, to give back the knowledge that I’ve gained in the New Haven school system.”
It was especially heartening to witness the church’s commitment to supporting music in a world where the life-sustaining art is often undervalued and underfunded.
The evening at St. PJ’s was transcendent, and the audience responded with an evangelical fervor. In that sacred space, jazz functioned as communion and both artists and listeners surrendered to the music.
The next PJ’s Jazz Collective show will be sometime in early September. Visit the church’s website to stay connected.
