Capital Jazz Society Inc

The Capital Jazz Society is a nonprofit organization that presents a series of high quality jazz events. There are two component programs of the Capital Jazz Society.

The Monday Night Big Band tradition started years ago on Monday nights by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis at the Village Vanguard in New York City. This tradition is now being carried out in many cities throughout the U.S. Our big band plays on various weeknights. The current instrumentation is five saxophones, four to five trumpets, four to five trombones, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. It has also included vibes, harmonica, percussion, other winds, French horns, tuba, vocalists, and electric cello in the past.

The Monday Night Big Band provides a regular series of live music in traditional big band style. Members are selected from a large pool of local musicians and there is a different combination for every performance. Musicians from the community may bring instruments and sit in with the band. Regular players include a mix of musicians from college students to seasoned professionals ages 17 to 60+. High school and college jazz ensembles are occasionally invited to perform as the featured group.

The directors who lead the band are some of the finest jazz musicians in the state - strong performers and educators at the high school and collegiate levels. This provides an excellent example for the student musicians who participate by playing with the band. It also allows students to learn from direct interaction with professional musicians. The director selects the music from an extensive library of big band jazz literature.

Friday Jazz @ Five presents local, regional, and national jazz groups for unique, high-quality performances.  This series allows for freedom of expression without commercial expectations. Past performers have included the Bob Krueger Combo, Andy Hall Combo, Hightops, NWU Jazz Ensemble, and The Frank Basile Quintet.

Capital Jazz Society audiences contain jazz fans of all ages, including students fulfilling requirements for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s “History of American Jazz” course.

Goals of the Capital Jazz Society include presenting professional, high-quality performances not available elsewhere and providing performance and learning opportunities.