Album Notes

A year in the life of the band, the highly acclaimed Knoxville Jazz Orchestra's newest CD, gives you front row seats.

The disc features live performances from Jazz a Vienne in France, the Montreux Jazz festival in Switzerland, plus performances with Chicago organist Dan Trudell and internationally acclaimed composer / pianist Donald Brown.

You'll Listen Again And Again

90% of the music here is unique to the KJO - never recorded by any other group. And with 17 of the south's best musicians, the sound is so huge that you'll hear new things each time you listen.

The selections cover a broad stylistic spectrum, with each piece showcasing a different aspect of this versatile group.

You'll hear the influence of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thad Jones, Woody Herman, Bob Brookmeyer, and Maria Schneider at different points throughout the CD.
And that's just in the writing. The soloists are fantastic as well.

As Good As Being There

The recordings on this CD represent some of the group's most inspired and passionate performances. They were recorded using state of the art digital technology, achieving a highly realistic sound quality.

You'll be able to feel the late afternoon sun in Vienne, smell the lakeside air at Montreux, and taste the great food at Fairbanks. The seats at the historic Bijou theatre were never so comfortable!

The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is a 17 piece group based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The band was formed in 1999 by trumpeter / arranger Vance Thompson to perform and promote music for big band. All members of the band are professional musicians, some with years of experience in other top flight jazz ensembles (Woody Herman Orchestra, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and others).

The group performs well over a dozen concerts each year, many featuring internationally recognized jazz artists. Recently featured soloists include Monty Alexander, Don Braden, Donald Brown, Vincent Herring, Mulgrew Miller, Bill Mobley, and Marvin Stamm. Together with "A year in the life..." the KJO has released three CDs.