Vallejo Jazz Society Presents Tony Corman’s Morchestra with special guest Clairdee and The Bishop O’Dowd High School Jazz Band

This jazz orchestra is the result of twelve years of writing charts in whatever time I could borrow or steal. I’ve always loved the power and sonority of massed instruments and had great times playing in big bands right from the start in the 1970s, when Harry Murphy would take time off from repairing horns at Devine’s Music in Framingham to assemble a disparate mixture of players to run Sammy Nestico charts. (By “disparate” I mean that beginners like me were sitting between some accordian player and tenorist Jackie Stevens, who’d spent years touring with Woody Herman.) I played for years in Full Faith and Credit and the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, terrific bands. Now it’s time to put that experience into action.

I’m the sole arranger for the band, and a lot of the tunes are somewhat torqued takes on the standards: Tea for Two as a 7/4 mambo for example, In fact, I originally called the band “The Torquestra,” but that got vetoed pretty fast, so instead of “torque,” we’re giving you “more.” Much nicer. Where was I? Oh yes, the music: I’ve also arranged some of the more rarely done Brazilian gems, like Joyce’s “Crianca” and “Lobo Bobo” by Ronaldo Bôscoli, and several of my own tunes. My fondest hope as an arranger is to engage you, amuse and delight, and recast familiar music to reveal unexpected facets. The sonorities range from deep violet combinations of muted brass and low woodwinds to the blazing gold of a band in full cry.

$20 General Admission | $10 VJS Members
Front Row Table $140 – 4 Seats Per Table ($35 per seat)

Doors open 2:30PM | Show starts at 3:30PM