James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band

James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band featuring Chris Smith, trombone; Dave Kosmyna, cornet; Andres Bishop, reeds; Chris Tabaczynski; reeds; Mike Karloff, piano; Kurt Krahnke, bass; and Pete Siers, drums.

James Dapogny (1940-2019) was a powerful, sophisticated and inventive jazz pianist, as well as an internationally-recognized bandleader, composer, arranger, historian and educator.

While his wide-ranging work in music would take pages to summarize, many people knew James Dapogny as the leader of his Chicago Jazz Band, an ensemble devoted to performing the music of the first fifty years of jazz. Founded in 1976, the group toured across forty-four states and Canada for more than thirty years. Among their numerous acclaimed recordings was a Grammy-nominated album from 1982 backing vocalist Sippie Wallace, who once employed Louis Armstrong as a sideman. Backing Wallace on tour, the band opened for Bonnie Raitt and appeared on national television via the Merv Griffin and David Letterman shows. The band also opened for Benny Goodman in 1986, for one of his last performances.

The musicians for today’s tribute include members of his Chicago Jazz Band as well as musicians from the area who played with Jim in Michigan. They are honored to play their friend’s great arrangements and compositions, which are treasured by the best musicians on the traditional jazz scene. The program will include classics from the Chicago Jazz Band recordings and concert tours, as well as a few surprises.