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, D.C., the Montreux International Jazz and Blues Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Virginia Music Educator's Association annual convention. The 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.