The
Chicago
Metropolitan
Jazz
Orchestra
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                   The Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on stage for a soundcheck in Macau
The CMJO is a Not-For-Profit, 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the furtherance and education of the only true original American art form.....................................................................................................................................................Jazz Music
 The Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, now led by Jim Peterson, is one of the country's most exciting big bands. This twenty piece group consists entirely of professional musicians, many of whom have toured with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and others. Jim is one of the founding members of the Band having held the jazz trumpet chair since 1995, and he has recently taken over its leadership. Jim, along with many of the members of the CMJO has shared the stage with some of the greatest jazz musicians in the business.  Jim and the guys in the band have worked with jazz luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Rosolino, Louie Bellson, The Temptations, Chaka Khan, Frank Sinatra Jr., Doc Severinsen, and many many others. Many of the guys on the Band have toured for years with the road bands of Stan, Buddy, Woody, and Maynard.

The CMJO itself is of course highly regarded in professional circles, and as such has been called to back such acts as the
jp Four Freshmen, Cab Calloway, and Mister Billy Eckstine, to name just a few. The CMJO is committed to jazz education worldwide as well as right here in Chicago. The Band can be found both representing the United States as far away as on the other side of the world, at the Macau International Music Festival, as well as supporting local school jazz festivals right here in the Chicago area. The Band loves to play at festivals such as The New Trier Jazz Festival, The Naperville Jazz Festival, and Jazz in the Meadows at Rolling Meadows High School. Because the caliber of experience, musicianship and talent is so high across all the personnel, many members of the Band are regularly asked to be jazz improv and ensemble clinicians and instructors, in addition to being performance judges, at the festivals where the Band appears. At the end of each Festival, the CMJO traditionally wraps things up with an exciting closing concert, bringing the usually packed house to it's feet.

Jim Peterson took over the leadership of the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra in 2008. Jim was a charter member of the band, originally hired by Len King at the Band's inception in 1995 to play the jazz trumpet chair. Jim's trumpet and music experience is widely varied. In college, Jim played for all four years of college in the great Northern Illinois University Two O'Clock Jazz Ensemble, under Ron Modell. In that band, Jim got to hang out and tour with Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Rosolino, Louie Bellson, Arnie Lawrence, and Don Menza, and many other jazz greats. Jim got especially close to Dizzy and Frank Rosolino, and he cites them as two of his main influences, along with Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, and Clark Terry. Jim also studied classical and orchestral trumpet with Ron, and Terry Sawchuck. After graduating NIU with a BM in Applied Trumpet Performance, Jim made his living as a freelance trumpet player in the hotels, recording studios, theaters, and churches in and around the city of Chicago, playing in the orchestra for shows and acts like Rich Little, Diahnne Carroll, Joan Rivers, the Lettermen, Liberace, Pat Boone, Frankie Avalon, John Gary, Bobby Rydell, and many others. Jim would also sub in the
theaters, play with many of the top society bands in Chicago, and regularly be on call to play classical music in the areas larger churches. Occaisionally he would accept a road tour with one of the "name" acts and go on the "road" for a month or two. Over the years Jim has done many recording sessions, both for advertising use as well as appearing as a sideman and/or soloist on jazz and big-band recordings for other artists. Jim is also in demand as a jazz improvisation clinician and teacher at jazz festivals, schools and universities throughout the area. He can be reached at Jim@CMJO.com.
  

This past Saturday (May 9th) Jim and some of the guys in the Band worked with the great Jerry Lewis when he was in town to do his show. During a break at the afternoon rehearsal Richie Corpolongo had a little trouble figuring out how to work Jim's cell-phone camera, and Jerry, not to let the opportunity pass him by, started "deadpanning" like crazy, telling Richie (while posing with Jim) that "if he didn't hurry up and take the $%*!+#  picture soon, he would have to go back to his dressing room and shave again!!"  Everybody cracked up, and Jim couldn't stop laughing. We were all honored to have had the opportunity to work with a show business legend like Jerry.

The Band's founder, Lenny King, started it all. Lenny was a motivating force in jazz education for 30 years in the Chicago area, and started the CMJO in 1995. Lenny taught and introduced many professional musicians over his career-- including Jim--  to top pros like Don Ellis, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, and of course, Stan Kenton.  He was the man responsible for instilling that great Stan Kenton heritage in the DNA of the CMJO. It has been said that nobody plays the music of Stan Kenton better than the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra

The CMJO has an extensive library, including many of the original arrangements from the Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, and Buddy Rich libraries. We will be adding some great new charts to the book from Chicago composer/arranger and bass trombonist Tom Matta, and we are planning to come out with a hot new record for 2009, made up entirely of original music written by Chicago composers!.

HEY!! GOOD NEWS- You can now buy our records on iTUNES!

The Band's first CD, Live and Screamin', features guest trumpet artist Dennis Noday, former lead trumpet for Stan Kenton, recorded live at Fitzgerald's Nightclub. Check out the Band's second CD, Labor of Love on CD Baby- it's awesome. Many thanks to our good friend, morning-drive jazz-jay on WDCB 90.9 FM and fellow bandleader John Burnett for writing the liner notes for the album. The Band has recieved rave reviews by critics both here in the States as well as in Europe. The CMJO is also featured on the CD, Mile by Jazz Mile, which includes many Chicago jazz artists and was produced to commemorate The LaSalle Bank's Chicago Marathon.  

The CMJO is currently accepting new and experimental arrangements on spec from writers both here in the U.S. as well as abroad.

Catch the CMJO LIVE at Fitzgerald's Nightclub Sunday, June 7th, 6pm- 9:30pm!

Opening for the CMJO one night only Sunday May 17th, at "THE PLACE" in downtown Lemont (across from the train station) is the fabulous Naperville North Jazz Ensemble led by Dan Moore, and jazz and lead trumpet player Randy Kulik!

We're talking with promoters, and we'll let you know how things are progressing....

For booking, contact Jim Peterson at: (630) 886-3150 /email:  Jim@CMJO.com  Click here to view upcoming gigs



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      Live and Screamin' - Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra with Dennis Noday, guest  trumpet soloist
Chicago Lakeside Jazz CLJ 601-2        $9.99     Add to Cart

Read the Liner Notes by John Burnett, WDCB-FM Jazz Radio
Read the CD Review by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz Magazine

Click Here for CD details, track information, band personnel, mail ordering information

Download tracks from iTunes - $0.99 each

Click here to order CD direct from CDBaby.com


chicagomjo2.jpg Labor of Love - Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
Chicago Lakeside Jazz CLJ 609-2        $9.99
    
Add to Cart

Read the Liner Notes by John Burnett, WDCB-FM Jazz Radio
Read the 
CD Review by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz Magazine

Click Here for CD details, track information, band personnel, mail ordering information

Download tracks from iTunes - $0.99 each

Click here to order CD direct from CDBaby.com

New:  Online credit card orders for CDs. Free shipping by First Class Mail to addresses in US and Canada. International shipping is only $5.00.

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For booking information call Jim Peterson:(630) 886-3150

or email him at Jim@CMJO.com

This site last revised on May 11, 2009.

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