Photo courtesy of The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra

Press Release

The Alexandria music department of Northern Virginia Community College will host the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m., in the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center. All NOVA faculty, staff and students are invited to attend this free performance.

The evening is “History of Big Band Music and its Practitioners.” The event falls within Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday specifically) and will trace the history of big band music from the early 1930s to present day.

The jazz orchestra is a 17-piece big band in residence at the historic Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C. The only house band in the District, the BCJO performs every Monday night at 2001 11th Street NW at U Street.

“History of the Big Band” is an artistic performance and educational outreach, designed to explore the developments in jazz music and the big band repertoire from the inception of jazz with Louis Armstrong through the composers and arrangers active today. The program consists of important pieces from the bands of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thad Jones, Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton and others.

The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra is directed by Brad Linde, and the NOVA Alexandria Jazz Ensemble is directed by John Kocur.

Along with the performance and program notes, the group will offer a master class for students to learn from and. NOVA students are invited to participate in a clinic discussing key elements of style and techniques exemplified by the greatest big bands, in addition to building vocabulary for improvisation. The master class will take place at Feb. 21 at 2 p.m., in the Tyler Building, room 130 (AT-130). It’s free and open to the public.

For additional information, visit nvcc.edu/schlesingercenter or bohemiancavernsjazzorchestra.com.

By: Contributing Author

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