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Founded in 1978 by Jeff Lindberg and the late Steve Jensen, the Jazz Members Big Band (now the Chicago Jazz Orchestra) was selected to be the opening band for the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival in 1979.After hearing the Orchestra on NPR broadcast of the 1981 Chicago Jazz Festival, Joe Williams began a performance collaboration with the ensemble that flourished, including ten straight appearances at The Kennedy Center Honors festivities in Washington, DC. The Chicago Jazz Orchestra performed at The Kennedy Center Honors for the sixteenth straight year on December 5, 2004. The group has toured Europe twice, including performances in Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden.The Chicago Jazz Orchestra is the Chicago band of choice for the greatest jazz musicians, and thus the ensemble has performed with such artists as Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Nancy Wilson, Louie Bellson, Herbie Hancock, Jon Faddis, Kurt Elling, Jack McDuff, Kenny Burrell, and many more.