In Full Swing Jazz Orchestra
Ron Surace, Director

MISSION STATEMENT

The band makes every effort to create stylistically-accurate great American big band masterpieces. We have great personnel who all have regional/national recognition as fine performers. Our intent is to feature authentic performances and arrangements of the works. We also include a portion of our program to the repertoire of contemporary American big band arrangements.

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AWARDS

The band was recently selected into the First Class of the International Big Band Competition 2019 in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.

In both 2005 and 2007 the "In Full Swing" jazz orchestra was awarded the "Best of the Best V" LACONI (Library Administrators Council of Northern Illinois) award for outstanding performances for programs for adults. The 17 member group perform around 12 concerts per year. 

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PERFORMANCE HISTORY

A sample of our themes for programming have been (with or without lecture comments):

• Three Decades of "American Big Band Jazz 1920-1949

• Great American Big Band Composers - Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, et al.

• Famous American Big Band Leaders _ Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, et.al.

• All Original Benny Goodman Big Band hits

• All Original Glen Miller Big Band hits

• All Count Basie, or all Stan Kenton, or all Tommy Dorsey

The group has performed for many colleges, libraries, community schools, musical concert series, fund raiser events for worthy causes, (Cancer research, Parkinson disease, Heart, Cystic Fibrosis, etc.)weddings and dances. From 2002 to 2010 the group halped raise over $600,000.00 for charities.

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WHERE WE HAVE PERFORMED

The IFS has presented concerts at the McCormick Place Auditorium for the "Rotary International" convention, the Northfield Center Auditorium, the Lake Forest Summer music concert series, the Black Orchid in Chicago, the Skokie Theater, the Chateau Ritz, the Patty Turner Center, the Avalon Ballroom, the Oakton Community college, and the Chicago Cultural Center. Please remember -- In Full Swing strives to be  ALL ACOUSTIC (NON-ELECTRONIC). NO DIGITAL GADGETS added to the mix. No LOOPS, or SEQUENCERS; NO PRE-RECORDED MUSIC TRACKS OF ENHANCED ELECTRONICS TO PROP UP A LIVE PERFORMANCE. The music at all our concerts are totally authentic in style, form and content and are in "real - time" produced by 17 fine live musicians.