Upcoming Events
Miles @ 100 with Marquis Hill
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The KJO celebrates the centennial of Miles Davis’ birth with trumpeter Marquis Hill, one of the boldest visionaries of the modern era. Hill cut his teeth in Chicago before winning the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz competition in 2014 and becoming a presence on the global scene virtually overnight. The program will include music from across Davis’ storied career, including selections from his iconic albums Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue.
Presented by the Lawson Family Foundation
Swingin' Christmas with Patrick Bartley
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The hippest concert of the season. Sparkling arrangements of holiday favorites in the style of Ellington, Basie and other jazz greats. Saxophonist extraordinaire Patrick Bartley joins the band along with other special guests. An event guaranteed to make your season bright!
Presented by Wells Fargo Advisors
Jazz is for Lovers with Carmen Bradford
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Vocalist Carmen Bradford delights audiences around the globe as the featured vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra. In addition to world-class pipes, she brings a wealth of sensational big band material, including selections from her latest acclaimed album Carmen Sings Carmen, her tribute to jazz icon Carmen McCrae. Sure to be the perfect Valentine’s treat for your special someone.
Presented by the Lawson Family Foundation
Bianchi, Hamilton, Kovalcheck Meet the Big Band
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Drummer Jeff Hamilton first earned an international reputation touring with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Monty Alexander and others. More recently, he’s been known as the leader of a variety of world-class ensembles from his own trios to the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. His latest project finds him paired with Hammond B-3 organist Pat Bianchi and guitarist (and UTK Music alum) Steve Kovalcheck to explore the possibilities of the classic organ trio. The entire trio travels to Knoxville to tangle with the big band in what promises to be an amazing evening of hard-swinging good times.
Presented by the Lawson Family Foundation
Naples to New York with Pasquale Grasso
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Italy' s Campania region is renowned for stunning coastlines, mouthwatering cuisine, ancient ruins, incredible architecture and a long history of great art and music. But it was not particularly known as an incubator of jazz greatness, until guitarist Pasquale Grasso arrived in New York and began turning heads with an unprecedented new approach to the instrument. One of the heads that was turned belonged to NEA jazz master Pat Metheny, who called him “the greatest guitar player I’ve ever heard maybe in my entire life.” Pasquale will perform a set of music made famous by his musical heroes: Bud Powell and Charlie Parker, arranged for big band by his older brother Luigi, himself an internationally renowned musician..
Presented by the Lawson Family Foundation
Nothin' But Soul with Kirk Whalum
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The soulful saxophone of Grammy winner KIRK WHALUM is heard on Whitney Houston’s mega-hit “I Will Always Love You,” as well as recordings by Barbara Streisand, Luther Vandross and others. He has earned 12 Grammy nominations and fans internationally for his own music which blends Memphis R&B, gospel, rock and jazz. Add the sizzle of the KJO big band and you have all the ingredients for a spectacular evening of soul-stirring good times.
Made possible by the Lawson Family Foundation.
The Brown Family Get-Down with Keith Brown
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Knoxville native KEITH BROWN is a leading jazz pianist of his generation. He has toured and recorded with Kenny Garrett, Stefon Harris and Jazzmeia Horn, and he’s released his own acclaimed albums. This concert features Keith’s original compositions as well as music by his father Donald Brown, Knoxville’s patron saint of jazz.
Made possible by the Lawson Family Foundation.
Jazz is for Lovers with Camille Thurman
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Saxophonist and vocalist CAMILLE THURMAN has burst on to the international jazz scene in recent years with profiles in the New York Times, BET’s Future 40, NPR’s All Songs Considered, and Downbeat Magazine’s Rising Star Award. For this program, Camille performs music made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and others.
Made possible by the Lawson Family Foundation.
KJO's Swingin' Christmas with Simon Moullier
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Join us at the hippest concert of the season! Enjoy sparkling arrangements of holiday favorites in the style of Ellington, Basie and other jazz legends. Vibraphonist SIMON MOULLIER joins the band, along with other special guests. An event guaranteed to make your season bright!
Satchmo Swings with Byron Stripling
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BYRON STRIPLING is known around the world for his electrifying and heartfelt tributes to the legendary ‘Satchmo’ himself, Louis Armstrong. With his engaging rapport, jazzy vocals and virtuosic trumpet sounds, Byron dazzles audiences wherever he goes. He kicks off the 2025-2026 season with the KJO big band.
Made possible by the Lawson Family Foundation.
The Silver Anniversary Concert
After a quarter century of backing up some of the jazz world’s greatest artists, this event will put the spotlight on the musicians who have dedicated themselves to making the KJO a success. It will also highlight some of the young local talent lighting the way to the future.
An Evening with Anat Cohen
Clarinetist, saxophonist & composer Anat Cohen is a native of Tel Aviv whose music effortlessly blends Jazz and Brazilian Choro with influences from Africa and the Middle East into an infectiously charismatic sound that blurs the lines between cultures and genres. A must-see event for any lover of great music.
Jazz is for Lovers with Sachal Vasandani
Vocalist Sachal Vasandani has delighted audiences alongside artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Milton Nascimento, Chris Botti, Michael Feinstein and others. This program will feature songs made famous by Nat King Cole and arranged for big band by John Clayton. Sure to be the perfect treat for your special someone.
A Swingin' Christmas with Luther Allison
Presented by Thermal Label Warehouse
The hippest concert of the season. Sparkling arrangements of holiday favorites in the style of Ellington, Basie and other jazz greats. Multi-instrumentalist Luther Allison joins the band along with other special guests. An event guaranteed to make your season bright!
KJO Plays the Beatles with John Pizzarelli
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Guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli joins the band to explore the music of the Beatles, the most successful pop act of all time. The program will include Can’t Buy Me Love, Here Comes The Sun, Eleanor Rigby, When I’m 64, Got To Get You Into My Life and many others.
Monk's Mood: Eric Scott Reed & KJO
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Pianist and composer Thelonious Monk crafted a revolutionary style in the 1940s and 50s that continues to challenge and inspire musicians today. We’ll explore Monk’s music and influence with pianist Eric Scott Reed, one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject and UT’s Artist in Residence in Jazz Piano.
Down Yonder in New Orleans with Doreen Ketchens
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Clarinetist and vocalist Doreen Ketchens embodies the spirit of New Orleans. Her infectious style has inspired nicknames like “Lady Louie” & “Miss Satchmo” and earned appearances on HBO’s Treme, Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Sunday Morning. Join Ketchens and the KJO for a musical trip to the Big Easy, filled with well-known classics and a whole lot of fun!
KJO: Jazz is for Lovers with Veronica Swift
Feb 13, 8pm
Sponsored by Bistro by the Tracks
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Vocalist Veronica Swift has taken the jazz world by storm in recent years, touring with Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti and releasing one acclaimed recording after another. She has been called “a jazz lioness” (Jazz Times) with a “miraculous voice and an innate gift for entertaining a crowd” (Wall Street Journal). Sure to be the perfect treat for your special someone.
KJO: A Swingin' Christmas with Pasquale Grasso
Sponsored by Thermal Label Warehouse
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The hippest concert of the season. Sparkling arrangements of holiday favorites in the style of Ellington, Basie and other jazz greats. Special guests include Pasquale Grasso, one of the most amazing guitarists in jazz today, plus vocalists Kelle Jolly and Evelyn Jack. An event guaranteed to make your season bright!
Emmet Cohen & KJO Celebrate Thad Jones
Sponsored by Lexus of Knoxville
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Thad Jones was one of the most influential figures in the history of the jazz big band, creating a style that combined gut-bucket blues, rollicking-good-time swing and imaginative harmonies and melodies. To mark the centennial of his birth, the KJO is teaming up with pianist Emmet Cohen, a young man whose charismatic style has earned him legions fans around the globe.
The Great Ladies of Song with Camille Thurman
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To say that composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Camille Thurman is a rising star in the jazz world is a bit of an understatement. She is the newest member (and first female member) of Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra where she is often featured as both a tenor saxophonist and vocalist. For this special program, Camille brings her unique talents to bear on a program of music made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and others.
Sponsored by Thermal Label Warehouse
Jazz is for Lovers with Ken Peplowski and Charles Turner
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a selection of music made famous by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman and other icons of American popular song. Ken Peplowski (“arguably the world’s greatest clarinetist”- the BBC) and up-and-coming vocalist Charles Turner join the KJO in a program that is sure to be the perfect treat for your special someone.
Sponsored by Bistro by the Tracks
A Swingin' Christmas featuring Warren Wolf
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The hippest concert of the season. Sparkling arrangements of holiday favorites in the style of Ellington, Basie and other jazz greats. Special guests include vibraphonist extraordinaire Warren Wolf, plus vocalists Kelle Jolly and Evelyn Jack! Don’t miss the one event this season that is guaranteed to make your season bright!
Presented by Thermal Label Warehouse
Buy Local: Celebrating Knoxville's Music & Musicians
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Ktown has long been home to fabulous musicians, and we’ve added a few new faces over the past year. We’ll celebrate homegrown and transplants alike in this one-of-a-kind concert featuring new music and performances by Donald Brown, Mark Boling, Eric Reed, Jack Roben, Kenny Brown, Jon Hamar, Taber Gable, Bill Swann, Sam Adams, Larry Vincent and Kelle Jolly.
Sponsored by Lexus of Knoxville
Creole Soul with Etienne Charles
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE SAFER AT HOME ORDER. THE BOX OFFICE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON PROCESSING REFUNDS FOR ALL TICKET HOLDERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
A native of Trinidad, trumpeter Etienne Charles an exciting young jazz artist who is ushering the genre into groundbreaking new territory. His latest album, Creole Soul, buoyantly taps into a myriad of styles rooted in his Afro-Caribbean background and plumbs the musical depths of the islands, from calypso to Haitian voodoo music, from Reggae to Motown and R&B.
Jazz is for Lovers with Brianna Thomas
Brianna Thomas started turning heads with her precocious vocal abilities in her hometown of Peoria, Illinois while still in grade school. She had toured Europe before reaching her teens, and has since established a reputation as one of the most formidable singers in jazz. The New York Times declared that “Ms. Thomas has a strong voice and a big range, descended from Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter and routed through Dianne Reeves, with clarity and confidence and a little dirt.” Her debut appearance with the KJO is sure to be the perfect Valentine’s treat for your special someone.
Jeff Hamilton Trio Meets the KJO
Jeff Hamilton is quite simply one of the most exciting drummers in jazz. Whether he’s working as a sideman with the trios of Monty Alexander, Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, the big bands of Woody Herman or co-leading his own Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, his playing is always original, swinging, and awe-inspiring. For this special evening, Jeff brings his working trio featuring pianist Tamir Hendelman and Knoxville’s own Jon Hamar to spur the KJO to new heights.
Bank of America Presents A Swingin' Christmas with Regina Carter
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The hippest concert of the season. Holiday favorites performed in the styles of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more. Violinist Regina Carter joins the band this year to make your season brighter. A recipient of the MacArthur “genius” award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, Carter has long been a fan favorite at the world’s top festivals. Her performance credits include the who’s who of jazz, plus artists as diverse as Mary J. Blige, Billy Joel and Dolly Parton.
Bank of America Presents A Swingin' Christmas with Regina Carter
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GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR 10 OR MORE & 20 OR MORE!
The hippest concert of the season. Holiday favorites performed in the styles of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more. Violinist Regina Carter joins the band this year to make your season brighter. A recipient of the MacArthur “genius” award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, Carter has long been a fan favorite at the world’s top festivals. Her performance credits include the who’s who of jazz, plus artists as diverse as Mary J. Blige, Billy Joel and Dolly Parton.
20th Anniversary Celebration and CD Release
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In the fall of 1999, the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra convened its first rehearsal. Everyone present knew that something special was happening, but no one could have foreseen the ways that this ensemble would shape the next two decades of their professional lives. In this special event, we revisit some of the music that brought the band together, celebrate the release of our new CD The Road Less Traveled, and introduce some of the young members of the community who hold the promise of shaping the next 20 years of music in Knoxville and beyond.
A Century of Heroes: Kurt Elling sings Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Ellington & Jon Hendricks
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After 14 years atop the DownBeat Critics Poll and eight Jazz Journalists Association awards for Male Singer of the Year, Kurt Elling can safely be called the top male jazz vocalist of his generation. In this program, the Chicago-born baritone pays tribute to personal heroes Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington and Jon Hendricks. The play list will include Come Fly With Me, You Are Too Beautiful, I Like the Sunrise, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Nature Boy and other selections.
An Evening With Monty Alexander and the KJO
Sponsored by Thermal Label Warehouse
Premium Series Only
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Fifty-five years after he moved to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, his home town, pianist Monty Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. His spirited conception is one informed by the timeless verities: endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, sophisticated voicings, a romantic spirit, and a consistent predisposition, as Alexander accurately states, “to build up the heat and kick up a storm.” In the course of any given performance, Alexander applies those aesthetics to repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expression—the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and reggae. Like his “eternal inspiration,” Erroll Garner, Alexander—cited as the fifth greatest jazz pianist ever in The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time (Hal Leonard Publishing) and mentioned in Robert Doerschuk’s 88: The Giants of Jazz Piano—gives the hardcore-jazz-obsessed much to dig into while also communicating the message to the squarest “civilian.”
Jazz is for Lovers with Jazzmeia Horn
Sponsored by Bistro by the Tracks
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Vocalist Jazzmeia Horn has a name that speaks for itself, capturing her very essence. Still in her twenties, this Dallas native already has a list of awards and honors too long to mention. Her performance at the 60th Grammy Awards in New York brought down the house, signaling the arrival of a true force to be reckoned with. This special concert will feature music from her Grammy-nominated debut CD, A Social Call, as well as selected standards from the Great American Songbook. Sure to be the perfect Valentine's treat for your special someone.
Cubano Nouveau with Dafnis Prieto
Sponsored by Merchant and Gould, P.C.
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Drummer, composer, bandleader and MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellow Dafnis Prieto has been making waves on the international scene since his arrival in the US in the late 1990s. A native of Cuba, Prieto weaves styles from Latin America and Jazz into a fresh sound that sparkles with energy and excitement. This performance will feature music from Prieto’s acclaimed CD Back to the Sunset, a tour de force for jazz orchestra that showcases the strength and power of the big band while pointing to a world of new possibilities.
Merrill Lynch Presents A Swingin' Christmas
Sponsored by Merrill Lynch
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The hippest concert of the season. Holiday favorites in the style of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more. Pianist extraordinaire Cyrus Chestnut joins the band this year to help make your season bright. Music from Chestnut’s recording A Charlie Brown Christmas will be highlighted this year, along with many other classics from the sacred and secular holiday traditions.
