ABOUT THE CCJO

The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (CCJO) is a 17-member ensemble dedicated to performing, preserving, and teaching Jazz as a living art form. Founded by University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music professor Scott Belck and arts administrator LeAnne Anklan in 2013, the orchestra is comprised of some of the preeminent jazz artists and educators in the Greater Cincinnati area. 

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As an ensemble, CCJO focuses on featuring the works of contemporary composers and contributing to the jazz legacy by producing and performing its own original material while still maintaining a firm footing in the grand tradition of big band jazz. ​The Orchestra’s mission is to create experiences that advance jazz as a living art form with a vision to be the region’s leading ambassador for jazz. We are committed to bringing the beauty and elegance of Jazz to students and audiences alike. We aim make jazz accessible and approachable for listeners of all backgrounds which means that the group's programming is often drawn from artists ranging from Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus all the way to Prince, Radiohead and David Bowie. The CCJO also values collaboration and has reached across musical boundaries to welcome musicians of diverse perspectives and musical persuasions to share their stage. 

 

In addition to performing alongside many of the world's brightest jazz stars, the band has partnered with everyone from Latin percussionists to classical string orchestras to full gospel choirs. The Orchestra has performed with several Grammy-winning and -nominated performers including composer Maria Schneider, trumpeter Lew Soloff, trombonist Conrad Herwig, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, saxophonist Lauren Sevian and trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, as well as NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and Rolling Stones musicians Tim Ries and Bernard Fowler. CCJO partnerships include Jazz at Lincoln Center, Xavier University Music Series, Memorial Hall Signature Series, Cincinnati Youth Choir, Dillsboro Jazz Festival, OTR Performs in Washington Park and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In the summer of 2023, the ensemble presented a free series at Fountain Square, A Tribute to the Jazz Masters, sponsored by Jamey Aebersold.

 

The artists that comprise the CCJO have performed, toured and/or recorded with many of the top names in the jazz and commercial music industry including Ray Charles, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Fred Hersch, Conrad Herwig, the Temptations, Tony Bennett, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Bootsy Collins, Clark Terry, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and many many more. As educators, nearly all of the ensemble members serve on the music faculties of prominent university music schools, including the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University and the University of Dayton. Eric Lechliter is the artistic director for the CCJO, appointed in 2019. Dr. Scott Belck and Rob Parton serve as ensemble artistic director emeriti.

 

The CCJO's Jazz@First series features thematic and exciting chamber jazz in an intimate setting at the First Unitarian Church. CCJO chairman and pianist Phil DeGreg leads the popular series which primarily features the Phil DeGreg Trio alongside jazz greats from Cincinnati and around the world.

 

In addition to maintaining its performance schedule, the CCJO has a similarly strong commitment to Jazz and cultural education. Through its two main educational programs - Collaborative Honing of Performance Skills (CHOPS) and "Let Freedom Swing," the organization provides no-cost guest clinicians for local Jazz programs as well as educational presentations for school districts throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. These programs seek to inspire and provide opportunities for the next generation of Jazz musicians and listeners. 

 

CCJO’s Let Freedom Swing! (LFS!) program provides FREE interactive, live Jazz music presentations to schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. This renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center educational program was created by Wynton Marsalis and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to teach democracy through Jazz and create conversations about the parallels between these two great American traditions. Specific topics include: (1) Let Freedom Swing! (an overview focusing on Jazz and Democracy); (2) Jazz and Civil Rights; (3) Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance; and (4) Jazz and Communication (designed by CCJO educators). Additionally, LFS! satisfies national standards, as well as Ohio Department of Education K-12 Social Studies standards, including American History: Historical Thinking and Skills. 

 

Our newest education program, CHOPS (Collaborative Honing of Performance Skills), was created in 2018 by the CCJO in an effort to encourage young musicians to improve their skills and to perform alongside our professional ensemble. The CCJO invites local high school and collegiate jazz bands throughout the community to open for CCJO's big band series at The Redmoor. This allows young jazz musicians to gain first-hand professional performance experience as well as to receive masterclasses by our CCJO musicians at no cost. These sessions have been received enthusiastically by students and their directors.

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The CCJO is the proud winner of the 2016 CityBeat Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Jazz Ensemble. CCJO events have also been nominated in several categories for the Movers & Makers Reader's Choice Awards.

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The CCJO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

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CCJO Diversity Statement

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The CCJO exists to serve the Cincinnati community through the music we perform and present. We pledge to create and maintain a welcoming environment for our leadership, volunteers, musicians, audiences and those with whom we partner, that respects diverse background and experiences by committing ourselves to equal employment and volunteer opportunity without regard or preference to age, race, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, marital status, religious belief, or military status.