There's a building on Mt. Lookout Square that has been entertaining Cincinnati for generations. It hosts weddings, parties and concerts. But once a month during the season, it belongs to the big band.
That building is The Redmoor, and it's the home stage of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra's Big Band Series.
From movie house to music hall
The Redmoor traces its roots to 1928. For decades it was the Mt. Lookout Theatre, a neighborhood movie house with clean Art Deco lines. In the late '90s it reopened as the Mt. Lookout Cinema Grill, and later it became the live-music venue it is today.
Walk in and you still feel the theater it was. The curves, the glow, the stage at the front of the room. It was built for an audience, and it still knows how to hold one.
The CCJO has leaned into that history before, once turning a night at The Redmoor into a tribute to jazz from the silver screen, popcorn included.
Why big band belongs here
A full jazz orchestra needs room to breathe. It also needs you close enough to feel the brass hit.
The Redmoor gives you both. It's intimate enough that you can watch a soloist's fingers, and big enough for a full trumpet section to lift the roof. You're not watching jazz from the back of an arena. You're in the room where it happens.
Dinner at 6, swing at 7
Every Big Band Series night follows the same easy rhythm:
- 6:00 pm Doors open for dinner service
- 7:00 pm The CCJO takes the stage
Come early. Grab a table, order dinner and a drink, and settle in before the downbeat. It's a full night out, not just a concert.
A decade of nights on Linwood Avenue
The CCJO has been playing The Redmoor for more than ten years. The orchestra celebrated its 10th birthday here and released its debut album, We Are The CCJO, on this stage.
Over the years, the Redmoor stage has hosted tributes to Steely Dan, Ella Fitzgerald, Wayne Shorter, Quincy Jones and the big band legends of the '70s and '80s. It's where the CCJO earned its reputation, and its title as Best Jazz Ensemble at the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards.
Still to come this season
The 2026-27 #JazzIsAlive season opened in October with a tribute to Chuck Mangione. Here's what's left on the Big Band calendar:
| Date | Show |
|---|---|
| Nov 19 | A Tale of Two Big Bands: Gordon Goodwin & Jim McNeely |
| Dec 9 & 10 | Jingle Jazz: Swingin' Into the Holidays (two nights) |
| Feb 17 & 18 | Licensed to Swing: The Music of James Bond, feat. Mandy Gaines (two nights) |
| Mar 4 | John Clayton: Big Band Legend |
| Apr 22 | The Phantastic Phil DeGreg (season finale) |
November honors two giants we lost in 2025: Gordon Goodwin's high-octane West Coast sound and Jim McNeely's adventurous writing.
December brings back Jingle Jazz, the CCJO's holiday tradition, with swinging takes on seasonal favorites. Two nights, and they go fast.
February turns up the glamour. Vocalist Mandy Gaines fronts the band for the music of James Bond.
March welcomes GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer and arranger John Clayton, co-founder of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
April closes the season with a celebration of pianist Phil DeGreg, who toured with Woody Herman and J.J. Johnson and has spent decades shaping Cincinnati jazz.
Your table is waiting
Jazz is alive in Cincinnati, and it lives on Linwood Avenue. Bring a date, bring your friends, or bring someone who's never heard a big band live. They'll leave a fan.
The Redmoor · 3187 Linwood Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45208 (Mt. Lookout Square)
Get your tickets #JazzIsAlive
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