Chicago Jazz Orchestra -- Still Swinging After 30 Years

Nostalgia loomed large at Thorne Auditorium (375 E. Chicago Avenue) on October 19 at 4 p.m. as the Chicago Jazz Orchestra resurrected the swinging ghosts of jazz legends during “Exquisitely for Ella: A Songbook Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald”. Led by conductor and director, Jeff Lindberg, the 42-piece ensemble performed iconic works by Nelson Riddle, Billy Strayhorn , Duke Ellington and others, while featured vocalists Spider Saloff (co-star of Public Radio’s “Words and Music”), 2008 Chicago Music Awards’ Jazz Entertainer of the Year Dee Alexander, and CJO lead vocalist Frieda Lee, invoked the spirit and the sound of the First Lady of Jazz.

“Exquisitely for Ella” was the first of the CJO’s 11th annual subscription series, as well as the celebratory concert marking the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, making it Chicago’s oldest professional jazz orchestra in continuous operation.

Lindberg explained that the tribute to Ella Fitzgerald was chosen to mark the orchestra’s milestone because of its mass appeal to the public. It was first performed in 2006 to two sold-out shows. “You couldn’t have chosen a more outstanding representation of the jazz idiom,” added vocalist Frieda Lee, “Not only Ella’s exquisite singing, but also the rich music that was arranged for her.”

Lindberg and associate artistic director, Charley Harrison, chose the most beloved songs from Ella’s Songbook Series produced by Norman Granz. From toe-tapping favorites such as Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” and scat pieces like Ellington’s “Cottontail,” to the lush selections such as Jerome Kern’s “The Way You look Tonight” and “All the Things You Are,” the CJO was making its case that after 30 years, it was still swinging.

Some of the current members of the orchestra were barely learning to walk when Lindberg and the late trumpeter Steve Jensen (for whom the show was dedicated) founded The Jazz Members Big Band in 1978. Since their first performance at Gaspar’s on the corner of Belmont and Southport 30 years ago, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra has shared the stage with prominent artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Kurt Elling, Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock. In 1979, the band was selected to be the opening act of the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. This December will also be the 20th straight year that the CJO will perform at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Chicago Jazz Orchestra has dedicated itself to preserving the works of jazz masters over the years. The Smithsonian Museum regularly commissions Lindberg and Harrison to transcribe original jazz recordings. Because of the improvisational nature of jazz, many performances are not written down for posterity and cannot be performed again.

In 2003, new works by Billy Strayhorn (Ellington’s arranger) were posthumously discovered, and the CJO worked to bring the never performed pieces to life. Deborah L. Gillaspie, the curator of the University of Chicago’s Chicago Jazz Archive Collections referred to Strayhorn as “one of America’s truly great composers and also one of the most neglected.” Gillaspie noted the CJO’s contribution, "The collaboration between the CJO and the Strayhorn family to present the works of Billy Strayhorn is an important milestone in Chicago Jazz history. I was fortunate to hear that first CJO concert of Strayhorn's music in 2003 at the Museum of Science and Industry; it was wonderful to see Billy Strayhorn honored as a genius in his own right."

Lindberg, who is also the music director of the Wooster Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, stresses the importance of preserving these works, “This is very important to us because the music needs to have an established canon which we can build upon. Then perhaps jazz can finally get the recognition it deserves.” Lindberg insists that even after all the great jazz artists in history, the “Academy” still keeps a distance from jazz.

Frieda Lee, who has been with the band for 20 years, credits the longevity of the CJO to its dedicated musicians. Lindberg adds that being based in Chicago has contributed to their success, “I don’t think we would have this quality of players anywhere else. Because of today’s movement of people, there really is no regional sound anymore—except in Chicago. The musicians play in such a relaxed way; it really is a swinging city.”





Ella Fitzgerald performing "Oh, Lady Be Good!"