Smithsonian Jazz


Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

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SJMO History

Highlights

Since 1990, the SJMO has performed in 9 foreign countries and 26 states, from Alaska to Florida.

SJMO

In June 1993, the SJMO performed at the White House for the 40th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival, conducted by David Baker and Gunther Schuller.

The SJMO played at the 1996 Cultural Olympiad in Atlanta.

In 1999, the SJMO crisscrossed the country presenting concerts in tribute to the 100th anniversary of Duke Ellington's birth and also performed at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival in a concert featuring Ellington's Suite Thursday, originally commissioned for the festival.

Concert History

Date

Conductor

Program Theme

Venue

July 20-21, 2001

David N. Baker

The Big Band Magic of Quincy Jones:Composer, Arranger and Bandleader featuring Quincy Jones as guest conductor

Lincoln Theatre

March 9-10, 2001

David N. Baker

The Legacy of Louis Armstrong featuring guest artists Miles Griffith, Delores King Williams and Randy Sandke

Lincoln Theatre

May 7-8, 2000

David N. Baker

The Musical World of Mary Lou Williams featuring guest artist Geri Allen

John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 28-29,2000

David N. Baker

Bebop in the New Millennium featuring guest artist James Moody

John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall

April 29, 1999

David N. Baker

Duke Ellington: Hallelujah! A Sacred Concert

Washington National Cathedral

February 5 1999

David N. Baker

Duke Ellington One-Hundredth-Birthday Celebration featuring guest artists: Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Louie Bellson, Billy Taylor Trio, Dianne Reeves, and Kevin Mahogany

The Kennedy Center

Sep. 26-27, 1998

David N. Baker

Count Basie and the Music of Neal Hefti featuring guest artist Frank Foster

Lincoln Theatre

Aug. 15-16, 1998

David N. Baker

Duke Ellington: Suite Sixteen Plus Six

Lisner Auditorium

July 18-19, 1998

David N. Baker

Windows and Mirrors: African American and Jewish American Connections in Jazz, The music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw

Lincoln Theatre

Sep. 13-14, 1997

David N. Baker

Monk's Mood and Early Autumn: The Music of Thelonious Monk and Woody Herman

Lisner Auditorium

Aug. 16-17, 1997

David N. Baker

Blues and the Abstract Truth: The Music of Oliver Nelson featuring guest artist Oliver Nelson, Jr.

Lincoln Theatre

July 19-20, 1997

David N. Baker

Celebrating Benny Carter on His 90th

Lincoln Theatre

Oct. 5-,6 1996

David N. Baker

Miles Davis and Gil Evans, J.J Johnson, and Michel Legrand

Lincoln Theatre

Sept. 21-,22, 1996

David N. Baker

The Big Band Renaissance: Big Band Jazz from the '40s to the '90s, The music of Count Basie, Woody Herman, Harry James, Maynard Ferguson, Herb Pomeroy, Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, Duke Pearson, John Dankworth, Miles Davis

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts

July 27-28, 1996

David N. Baker

Strayhorn Discoveries, Ellington Evergreens, and Armstrong Rarities

Lincoln Theatre

June 22-23, 1996

David N. Baker

THE SPANISH TINGE, The music of Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Miles Davis, Billy Verplanck and Dizzy Gillespie

Lisner Auditorium

June 24-25, 1995

Gunther Schuller

Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, and More

Lincoln Theatre

Aug. 12-13, 1995

David N. Baker

A Salute to Sy Oliver and the Orchestras of Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey

Lincoln Theatre

May 20-,21, 1995

David N. Baker

The Big Band in Transition: From Swing to Bebop, The music of Chubby Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Billy Eckstine, Eliot Lawrence, Boyd Raeburn, Claude Thornhill and Lionel Hampton

National Theatre

Apri 29-30, 1995

David N. Baker

Go Harlem: A Tribute to Mary Lou Williams, Chick Webb, and Duke Ellington

National Theatre

Sep. 17-18, 1994

David N. Baker

Music of Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Jimmie Lunceford

National Theatre

July 30-31, 1994

David N. Baker

Music of Stan Kenton and Duke Ellington

Baird Auditorium

June 24-25, 1994

Gunther Schuller

Music of Artie Shaw, Claude Thornhill and Stan Kenton

Baird Auditorium

June 18-19, 1994

David N. Baker

Territory Bands "Plus", Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, Teddy Hill, Harlan Leonard, Claude Hopkins, Casa Loma, Lloyd Hunter, Jimmie Lunceford, James P. Johnson and Mary Lou Williams

Carmichael Auditorium

May 7-8, 1994

David N. Baker and Gunther Schuller

Music of the Erskine Hawkins, Artie Shaw, Earl Hines, Chick Webb, Benny Carter,Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman orchestra

Carmichael Auditorium

Aug. 28-29, 1993

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Hal McIntyre

Carmichael Auditorium

May 8-9, 1993

David N. Baker

Special Performance, The Music of Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Chick Webb, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet, Jimmie Lunceford and Glenn Miller

Carmichael Auditorium

July 31, and Aug 1, 1993

David N. Baker

Music of Duke Ellington And Dizzy Gillespie

Carmichael Auditorium

July 3-4, 1993

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington, Don Redman, Lionel Hampton and Earl Hines

Carmichael Auditorium

June 12-13, 1993

David N. Baker

Music of Duke Ellington , Artie Shaw, And Count Basie

Carmichael Auditorium

May 7-8, 1993

David N. Baker

A Tribute to Duke Ellington And Billy Strayhorn

Carmichael Auditorium

Aug. 29-30, 1992

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and Horace Henderson

Carmichael Auditorium

Aug. 8-9, 1992

Gunther Schuller

Music of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Lionel Hampton, the John Kirby Sextet, and Duke Ellington

Carmichael Auditorium

July 25-26, 1992

David N. Baker

Music of Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, Erskine Hawkins, and Glenn Miller

Baird Auditorium

July 18-19, 1992

David N. Baker

The Gillespie Connection: Music of Dizzy Gillespie, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Cab Calloway and Billy Eckstine

Marian and Gustave Ring Auditorium

June 20-21, 1992

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman

Marian and Gustave Ring Auditorium

May 22-23, 1992

David N. Baker

Stompin' at the Smithsonian, The music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Jimmie Lunceford, Tommy Dorsey, Chick Webb, Artie Shaw, Charlie Barnet, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman and Benny Goodman

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

October 8, 1991

Gunther Schuller

A Concert for Congress
The music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington,Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie

Carmichael Auditorium

October 8, 1991

David N. Baker

A Concert for Congress
The music of Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, Tommy Dorsey and Count Basie

Carmichael Auditorium

Aug. 30-31, 1991

David N. Baker

A Retrospective of the Inaugural Season, Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie

Carmichael Auditorium

Aug. 3-4,1991

David N. Baker

The Music of Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie

July 20-21,1991

David N. Baker

A Tribute to Sy Oliver, the Arranger for the Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras

Carmichael Auditorium

June 29-30,1991

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Woody Herman

Carmichael Auditorium

June 21-22, 1991

Gunther Schuller

Music of Bennie Moten,Duke Ellington, Benny goodman and Jimmie Lunceford

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

David N. Baker

Music of Duke Ellington

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

Gunther Schuller

Music of Bennie Moten

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

David N. Baker

Music of Jimmie Lunceford

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

Gunther Schuller

Music of Benny Goodman

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

David N. Baker

Music of Count Basie

Carmichael Auditorium

May 17-18, 1991

Gunther Schuller

Music of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

Carmichael Auditorium

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Cornetist Buddy Bolden born 1877 in New Orleans, LA.
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Saxophonist/musicologist Andrew White born 1942 in Washington, DC.

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