Chicago Jazz Orchestra Chosen As Kennedy Center Honors House Orchestra

Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra (CJO) has been chosen to perform at the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala on December 4, 2011 in Washington, D.C. This performance marks the 23rd straight year that the CJO has been chosen for this singular honor.

This year's five honorees include:

· Sonny Rollins – Arguably the most masterful jazz saxophonist of any generation, with unparalleled improvisational skills and a powerful presence
· Barbara Cook – One of the most accomplished interpreters of The Great American Songbook
· Neil Diamond – A beloved performer and prolific creator of American popular music
· Yo-Yo Ma – An extremely versatile and popular performer and educator, and
· Meryl Streep – An actress that exhibits uncommon skill and versatility in all of her performances

The President and Mrs. Obama will receive the honorees and members of the Artists Committee who nominate them, along with the Kennedy Center Trustees, at the White House prior to the Gala performance. The medallions will be presented to the honorees at a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on December 3rd.

The ceremony concludes with a dinner dance at which the CJO is the featured entertainment. In
past years, one of the highlights of the evening has been the unexpected performances of some of
the world's biggest stars who "sit in" with the CJO.

At last year's Gala, Matthew Morrison, star of the popular television show Glee, gave an impromptu performance with the CJO that had everyone swaying to the music well into the "wee hours of the morning".

Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1978 (Jazz Members Big Band) by Jeff Lindberg and the late Steve Jensen. Composed of Chicago's top musicians, the CJO is Chicago's oldest professional jazz orchestra in continuous operation and one of the oldest jazz repertory orchestras in the country. Conductor and Artistic Director Jeff Lindberg is one of the foremost transcribers in jazz. As a result, the Orchestra's repertoire draws upon his vast library, which includes the works of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Benny
Carter, Oliver Nelson, Ray Charles and many others.

Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra became the first professional jazz orchestra in Chicago to present a yearly subscription series (1998-99). The CJO's 2005 compact disc Clark Terry and Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra:George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (Americana Music) received widespread critical acclaim, including a rare "FIVE STAR" rating in Downbeat magazine. The CD has been voted among the top CD's of the decade by Downbeat Magazine.

The CJO receives support from The Stare Fund, the Illinois Arts Council, The Joseph B. Glossberg Foundation, The Shana Alexander Charitable Foundation of New York, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Oppenheimer Family Foundation and the Irving Harris Foundation. Additional in-kind support from the Jazz Institute of Chicago and WHPK 88.5 FM is also received.

To post a comment, you must register and login.