Making Music in the Windy City

Jeffrey Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra marks 30 years together

Jeffrey Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra, the longest continuous big jazz band in the Windy City, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and the milestone was featured in an exclusive report on WLS-TV, Chicago's ABC Network affiliate.

Lindberg, professor of music at The College of Wooster and director of the Wooster Symphony Orchestra and The College of Wooster Jazz Ensemble, explained that the group started out as a rehearsal band on the streets of Chicago. "We sort of pulled ourselves up by our boot straps, and we started playing at some major festivals," he said in the interview.

Amazingly, Lindberg travels 380 miles each week to lead the musicians every Monday. Several members of Lindberg's orchestra played with Count Basie, and one of those musicians compared that experience to his association with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, which he said has "the same enthusiasm, precision, and camaraderie."

Lindberg has an even deeper emotional attachment. "It's part of my heart and soul," he said, "so I've got to keep it going."

For more about the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, visit the group's website. To view the video, visit the WLS-TV website.