Albany Jazz Band

If your event is an intimate gathering for family and friends in a small space, such as a birthday or wedding celebration, our 13-piece combo is a good fit. If you are planning an event in a larger performance space with a larger audience, our 20-member big band is the best choice. The Small Band produces a rich, brassy, and entertaining combo sound, right for dancing or leisurely listening. The Big Band produces a fuller, more dramatic, more complex, harmonious Jazz Band sound.
We have an extensive repertoire of dance tunes, upbeat jazz, and modern harmonies and rhythms. We play a variety of intriguing big band music from all eras and genres, along with an entertaining sampling of the rich big-band vocal tradition, performed by seasoned vocalists. We bring all our equipment and usually need access to electrical power outlets, chairs, and nearby parking spaces. Our minimum playing time can be one to one-1/2 hours, depending on how far we must travel. We often play for 2 to 3 hours, with breaks. Fees depend on playing time and travel time. We always have a dialogue with you in advance to ensure we meet your music needs at the event. With a lead of 2 or more months, we will play your special-request music.
Logistics and technical needs are the same for both bands. For 2-hour or longer engagements, we take breaks between sets and make space for host announcement activities, including access to microphones and sound.
Please refer to our videos, tracks, and pictures for audio/visual samplings of the band.

Founded in 1996, the Albany Jazz Band is a community band based in Albany, California, active in the East Bay and surrounding communities. Since 2005, the band has been led by musical director/conductor Bob Levenson, an accomplished tenor saxophonist from New York, and vocal director/manager Richard Kalman, a vocalist and vocal jazz teacher from Oakland, CA. The band’s 17 instrumentalists and 3 vocalists are seasoned musicians who share a passion for big band jazz. The band performs at festivals, jazz venues, private parties, and community centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Albany band performs classic jazz standards from the big band era, 1930 to today, and often features unique modern arrangements. Our repertoire includes a lively variety of danceable swing and Latin jazz, soulful blues, both upbeat and slow ballads, Brazilian and Bebop, Funky Soul and Pop, and soaring Vocals.