Indiana's Symphony of Big Band Music

The Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra (IJO) is Indiana’s premier professional repertory big band jazz ensemble and is dedicated to serving the Indianapolis community and the entire state at large. Composed of leading professional jazz musicians and vocalists from Central Indiana, the IJO was created to preserve and advance the dynamic history of the big band. Patterned after many popular bands, both past and present, the IJO is committed to performing world-class musical arrangements based on classic tunes from the Great American Songbook. In addition to performing the best of the big band repertoire, the IJO also features outstanding new arrangements as well as original compositions.

Since September of 2001, the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra has presented a successful concert series, offering five concerts each season to the Indianapolis metro area. Beautiful and historic venues like the American Cabaret Theatre, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Indiana State Museum, and the Indiana Roof Ballroom frequently serve as hosts for these concerts. Regularly selected as “best entertainment picks” by local media, IJO performances have earned a reputation for being both entertaining as well as having outstanding general-audience appeal. IJO concerts are crafted to create a special rapport between the audience and the performers that makes for a fun and intimate concert experience.

In addition to their own concert series, the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra is regularly invited to perform at many of the best concert venues throughout Indiana and in other states. These venues include the Warren Performing Arts Center in Indianapolis, the Paramount Theatre in Anderson, the Foellinger Theater in Fort Wayne, the Minnetrista Center in Muncie, the Honeywell Performing Arts Center in Wabash, and the Virginia Theater in Champaign Illinois. The IJO is also a popular repeat performer at numerous statewide summer outdoor concert series. These include recent performances in Indianapolis, Greenfield, Carmel, Aurora, Lawrenceburg, Batesville, Marion, Danville, Rushville, and at the Munster Jazz Festival.

The Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra has created an impressive commercial recording legacy. Their first CD, The Test of Time (2003), was available only to IJO concert-series patrons, at other IJO performances, and at a few select stores. Instantly a fan favorite despite a fairly limited release, The Test of Time is now officially sold out. The IJO’s next album, Cook the Books (2005), has been distributed nationally, both online and in retail outlets. Cook the Books has also garnered critical acclaim and attention, which has contributed to brisk overall sales. Their much-anticipated third CD, Big Band Christmas Sampler, was released in October 2006. A brand new IJO CD is currently in the planning stages and due for release soon.