The Boston Jazz Orchestra, a critically acclaimed seventeen piece ensemble led by saxophonist Andy Baer, burst onto the new England scene on Valentine’s Day of 1990. The band has been performing to enthusiastic audiences at concerts and parties, including the Boston Globe and DeCordova Museum Jazz Festivals, the Boston Harbor Hotel Wine Festival Gala, the Prudential Center Summerfest and First Night. In 1991 the Boston Jazz Orchestra received a Massachusetts Arts Lottery Grant. The orchestra is comprised of artful seasoned veterans and young rising stars that blend a repertoire of traditional classics and contemporary big band sounds. The music of Count Bassie, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Bob Mintzer, Thad Jones/MelLewis, Oliver Nelson and Frank Foster is featured, along with songs and arrangements by local composers
Members of the Boston Jazz Orchestra have previously toured, recorded and performed with numerous internationally renowned jazz artists, including Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway, Gary Burton, Carla Bley, Maynard Ferguson, Chuck Mangione, Clark Terry, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.