ALBANY JAZZ BAND: THE STORY BEHIND THE MUSIC

The Albany Jazz Band has been performing at concerts and dances in the San Francisco Bay area since 1996. The Band's repertoire includes instrumentals and vocals that span classic and contemporary big band music, Latin, and pop. To fit the occasion and venue, the Band performs both as a full 20-piece Big Band and as a 10-piece Small Band. In its early years, the Band was part of the city of Albany's adult education program and more recently has been affiliated with city's Parks and Recreation Department.

 

The Albany Jazz Band was started in 1996 by Tom Lilienthal and led by Frank Jensen beginning in 1998. Since 2005, the Band has been led by Bob Levenson (conductor and musical director), Rich Kalman (vocal director), and Bernard Knapp (librarian). Band members are drawn from the remarkable pool of talented Bay Area musicians who share a love for playing big band music.