Thanks to John Oliver’s This Week Tonight for this banner. Other thanks appear below.

A Reminder: 

The Empire Jazz Orchestra (EJO) reunites Thursday at SUNY Schenectady County Community College for its first concert since 2018 – shown here in Rudy Lu’s photos. A truly all-star crew, EJO expertly plays historic jazz compositions by past masters and fresh material by contemporary artists including EJO members.

EJO last played in July 2018 at Music Haven in Schenectady’s Central Park. Rudy Lu photo

Thursday’s show presents such classics as “A Night in Tunisia” (Dizzy Gillespie), “Portrait of Louis Armstrong” (Duke Ellington), and “Let’s Dance” (Benny Goodman).

EJO stars 19 local jazz heroes; many lead their own groups and many teach next-generation jazz artists in area colleges and public schools.

Bill Meckley. Rudy Lu photo

Thursday’s reunion show is a benefit funding scholarships for the College’s Music School, which EJO founder Bill Meckley ran until his 2015 retirement. He leads this reunion concert. 7 p.m. in the SUNY Schenectady County Community College Carl B. Taylor Auditorium. $25 http://www.sunysccc.edu/ejo.

Rudy Lu kindly lent me these photos showing EJO’s 2018 show at Music Haven. A respected colleague and good guy, Rudy covers concerts for Mirth Films and New York State Music. I owe him big for these.

A Correction or Two:

In my review of Friday’s Caffe Lena show by Joy Clark and Buggy Jive, I mis-attributed sponsorship of the Caffe’s Bright Series, which is actually sponsored by Caffe supporters Kevin and Claudia Bright.

I also erroneously announced next Saturday’s Peak Jazz show. The quite wonderful Catherine Russell sings at the Caffe next Saturday. Two shows: 5 and 8 p.m. (doors open half an hour earlier) $75.92 members, $81.34 general. As part of the Caffe’s Peak Jazz Series, this show is supported by Joseph & Luann Conlon in memory of Corrine Simonds. 518-583-0022 http://www.caffelena.org.

Thanks to Caffe Lena impresario Sarah Craig for corrections.