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THE BUZZ JONES BIG BAND

For over 30 years The Buzz Jones Big Band has been dedicated to performing masterpieces of the Great American Songbook, swing standards of Basie & Ellington, blues of all genres, Latin jazz, and fusion. The band has over 300 performances to its credit --- jazz festivals, conventions, college campuses, ballroom dances, and summer park concert series. The BJBB has toured Europe three times since 1995 with performances at the Montreux and North Sea International Jazz Festivals and concerts in Belgium , Germany , France , Holland , and Switzerland .

Vocalist Cathy Chemi is one of the most outstanding interpreters of American popular song in the mid Atlantic States. In Las Vegas , she shared the stage with Alan King and legendary jazz pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines. Cathy joined the Harry James Orchestra as featured vocalist in the late '60s and toured the U.S. and the Europe with performances at London 's Royal Festival Hall and the Hollywood Palladium.

A 1995 live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival was followed by the studio compact disc "Millennium Swing" in 2000 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In June 2006 the band recorded a live CD "What's Up In The Attic?" with numerous guest artists including Denis DiBlasio and George Rabbai.

Check out the Buzz Jones Big Band on YouTube performing at the Gettysburg Festival 2009.

Buzz Jones Sextet

The Buzz Jones Sextet toured Germany in July 2004 and 2007 and also taught workshops and clinics for over forty German students at a musikschule near Hannover . The Buzz Jones Quartet with alto saxophonist Doug Cook performs regionally for a variety of social functions and as part of the jazz history class at Gettysburg College .

George Grund (pno), Jim McFalls (trb), Tom Hamm (drums), Dale Orris (trp), Buzz Jones (bass), Brett Crawford (sax)

THE MAJESTIC JAZZ ORCHESTRA

The twenty member Majestic Jazz Orchestra was organized in October 2003 for the express purpose of performing and recording Axiom Asunder, a composition in four episodes tracing the history of jazz that utilizes the poetry of Langston Hughes as a narrative thread. The name of the MJO pays tribute to Gettysburg ’s historic Majestic Theater. The theater underwent a fifteen million dollar restoration as a regional performing arts center under the auspices of Gettysburg College , the Gettysburg community and Founding Director Jeffrey Gabel. The Majestic reopened on November 14th, 2005 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the project and consists of expansion of lobby and backstage facilities, addition of two smaller theaters for the multi-purpose use of movies, lectures, concerts, black-box theater, community rehearsal space, as well as educational programs for students and the general public.

The Majestic Jazz Orchestra recorded "Axiom Asunder" in June, 2004. (Review)

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE
at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music

The Jazz Ensemble returned as a performing group in 1989 after a five year hiatus.  Students from a broad variety of academic disciplines audition for a place in the band. The musicians are dedicated to preserving and advancing America 's indigenous musical art form and study all styles of jazz from big band swing through contemporary fusion. Campus, community, and festival performances highlight the year's schedule including a concert with a nationally recognized soloist each February.  Guest artists have included Paquito D’Rivera, Jim McFalls, Lew Soloff, John Fedchock, Chris Vadala, Denis DiBlasio, Graham Breedlove, Hector Martignon, and Ed Soph. The GCJE toured Europe in 1993, 1997, 2002 and 2008 with performances at the North Sea, Vienne, and Montreux Jazz Festivals and concerts in France, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Greece. 

2008 Mediterranean Jazz Tour

GC '07 Jazz Ensemble with guest artist George Rabbai