The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra has a new season of concerts for both its Big Band Series and the more intimate Jazz@First concerts.
Founded in 2013, the CCJO focuses on the works of contemporary composers and expands the jazz canon by producing and performing its own original material, both new arrangements and compositions.
Big Band Series
(Photo by Steven Magas)
The full CCJO, a 17-piece big band, offers six concerts this season at The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout Square. Each concert opens with a regional student jazz ensemble. All performances begin at 7 p.m.
- Oct. 29: “Feels So Good: A Tribute to Chuck Mangione”
- Nov. 19: “A Tale of Two Big Bands: The Music of Gordon Goodwin & Jim McNeely”
- Dec. 9 & 10: “Jingle Jazz: Swingin’ Into the Holidays,” with vocalist Mandy Gaines
- Feb. 17 & 18: “Licensed to Swing: The Music of James Bond,” with Mandy Gaines
- March 4: “John Clayton: Big Band Legend,” featuring bassist/composer John Clayton
- April 22: “The Phantastic Phil DeGreg,” featuring founding CCJO pianist
Jazz@First Series
By contrast, the Jazz@First Series offers six smaller-scale experiences on Sunday afternoons in one of the region’s finest acoustic spaces – the wood-lined sanctuary at First Unitarian Church in Avondale. Performances are at 2 p.m.
- Oct. 4: “The Art of the Unexpected,” featuring guitarist Scott Wojahn
- Nov. 8: “A Tribute to the Jazz Masters,” featuring alto saxophonist and author Jamey Aebersold
- Dec. 6: “A Brazilian Christmas,” with local jazz group Brasilia
- Feb. 14: “Love Notes: A Jazz Valentine,” with Paul Keller, bass, and Sarah D’Angelo, vocals and clarinet
- March 14: My Foolish Heart: Songs of Love and Longing,” featuring vocalist Melissa Stylianou
- April 11: Sonny Rollins Tribute, featuring alto saxophonist Christopher Andrews
Season tickets: Subscribers receive one concert free.
- Adults, 18 and over: $125-175
- Students/children, under 18 or with student ID: $50
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