Spokane Jazz Orchestra kicks off 40th season

Spokane Jazz Orchestra has announced its upcoming season as being “40 and fabulous,” and that’s no small feat. It’s the oldest community-supported big band in the country.

Its 40th season follows the theme “Mad Jazz,” and it kicks off this weekend with a tribute to two of the greats of that genre. Frank Sinatra and Count Basie enjoyed a fruitful collaboration in the 1960s, with Sinatra recording his performances with Basie’s orchestra on several successful albums (“Sinatra at the Sands” and “It Might as Well Be Swing” among them). SJO, conducted by Tom Molter, honors them in “Sinatra and Basie: Live in Las Vegas,” which will feature the talents of Jake Bergevin, a jazz singer and trumpeter based out of Seattle.

The season continues as follows:

Dec. 6 – “Christmas in NY,” featuring guest vocalist Charlotte Carruthers

March 7 – “Hollywood Jazz,” featuring guest vocalist Kristina Ploeger

May 9 – “Springtime in Paris,” featuring guest vocalist Heather Villa

July 4 – SJO’s annual Fourth of July celebration in Riverfront Park, with a performance that precedes the fireworks

For more information, visit www.spokanejazz.org.

Nathan Weinbender