Founded in 1978, The Chicago Jazz Orchestra is Chicago’s oldest continuously operating professional jazz orchestra. The late, great trumpeter and educator Clark Terry called the Chicago Jazz Orchestra “The best big band in the country." The Chicago Jazz Orchestra (CJO) celebrates and perpetuates jazz orchestra music – an original American art form – for all audiences through unique performance, collaboration, and education. The CJO strives to develop and promote an appreciation for and understanding of music for the American jazz orchestra as it was originally conceived, performed, and recorded by jazz master composers and soloists. Through collaborative efforts and partnerships, the CJO seeks to provide listening and educational opportunities in a variety of settings and formats.