The Madison Jazz Orchestra is founded on the idea of the New York rehearsal band.  Players would come, sit in and play if they didn’t have a job that night or came right from the studio.  The other foundation of the band is the library and concept of the Stan Kenton Orchestra.  The concert jazz ensemble or orchestra, because of the many tone colors available, led to large jazz music to be played for ‘serious’ listening.  Composers and arrangers wrote for the music, the band and the players rather than a formulaic strategy to satisfy dancers.  The MJO is also a repertoire band playing a selection of works from the libraries of the bands of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Bob Mintzer, The Tonight Show Band, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and many more.  You can listen or you might want to dance, either way you will have a swingin’ good time.