This combo will take you on a journey covering a variety of genres including classic jazz arrangements, funky grooves, latin rhythms, good old blues, soothing bossa nova, and even some reggae vibes. The constant change of energy from song to song has a refreshing effect that is sure to keep you entertained!
The RJO provides a Saturday workshop for students in Northern Nevada who would like to work on improvisation, jazz theory, ear training, and small group performance. This is a great opportunity for young musicians who would like to work on skills that they don’t work on in their school ensembles regularly. Students also benefit from the small group instruction, performance aspects and recording experience.
Spring of 2021 brings hope that the Reno Jazz Orchestra (RJO) will be able to perform live and in person. We mastered Zoom for meetings, our education programs and even concerts, but now it is time to move on. With that in mind I want to share what we are working on both for performances and in education...
The RJO concluded this year's Jazz in the Schools program with an online concert featuring RJO trumpeter Julien Knowles with his quartet performing original compositions. The group played thirty minutes, then broke to answer questions from the participating students, and then the Quartet finished with another thirty-minute performance.
The Reno Jazz Orchestra’s 17-piece jazz band and signature soloists heat up the summer as they present: Now, Then, and Forever – Celebrating Earth, Wind, and Fire. Enjoy the infectious sounds of soul, funk, gospel, and greatest hits such as Shining Star, In the Stone, After the Love Has Gone, as well as some of their jazz-inspired instrumentals like Zanzibar. This is a must-see celebration this summer!
GRAMMY star and super-stellar jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer Diane Schuur joins the Reno Jazz Orchestra for a star-studded evening. Known for her pitch-perfect execution, crystalline 3 ½ octave vocal range, and electric personality, Diane will light up the night accompanied by the 17-piece jazz orchestra. Come enjoy this must-not-miss evening as she redefines the 'diva' category with her warm, often humorous, and relaxed interactions as she performs a library of award-winning arrangements that are sure to please.
Our mission is to build a greater appreciation of jazz in Northern Nevada by providing outstanding big band performances, promoting the artistry of Reno Jazz Orchestra musicians through a variety of ensembles, and supporting jazz education through a mentorship program in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. All combined, we contribute to the vibrancy, diversity, cultural vitality, and quality of our community’s artistic life.
Chris Casaceli is both a gifted saxophonist and film maker. A world renown cinematographer has agreed to mentor Chris in the making of an hour-long documentary of the RJO and how we have helped foster a new young jazz community in Reno.
In place of live concerts througout the entire year of the 2020 Covid pandemic, with your help, we are moving forward to record an audio/video album, Now, Then, and Forever - Celebrating the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. The album will include material we are going to perform this coming summer, 2021, at Sand Harbor State Park.
Like musicians worldwide, the RJO was forced to find ways to perform together during the Covid pandemic, and with the help of many fine local technicians, the Orchestra very quickly became an accomplished virtual ensemble. Take a few moments to enjoy what we put together while the lockdown kept our fans wondering when the music would be back.
Here we present virtual productions of three tunes from our upcoming audio/video album, Now, Then, and Forever - Celebrating the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire.
For readers who may be unfamiliar with the RJO, the Reno Jazz Orchestra is Northern Nevada’s premiere big band, in existence for over two decades and featuring some of Northern Nevada’s best jazz musicians. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has presented the RJO from performing live since the beginning of the pandemic. This article will review how the RJO has continued to function in the absence of live concert performances.
Stay in touch with the RJO by joining the RJO Fan Club. All we need is your name and your email address. We'll keep you informed about upcoming performances, events, and our plans for the future. We promise, we won't give your info to anyone outside our organication, and we won't fill your inbox with countless emails, but we will remind you of great music you won't want to miss.
