ABOUT THE CCJO
MISSION
TO CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT ADVANCE JAZZ AS A LIVING ART FORM
VISION
TO BE THE REGION'S LEADING AMBASSADOR FOR JAZZ
The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (CCJO) is a 17-member ensemble dedicated to performing, preserving, and teaching Jazz as a living art form. Founded by University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music professor Scott Belck and arts administrator LeAnne Anklan in 2013, the orchestra is comprised of some of the preeminent jazz artists and educators in the Greater Cincinnati area.
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As an ensemble, CCJO focuses on featuring the works of contemporary composers and contributing to the jazz legacy by producing and performing its own original material while still maintaining a firm footing in the grand tradition of big band jazz. ​The Orchestra’s mission is to create experiences that advance jazz as a living art form with a vision to be the region’s leading ambassador for jazz. We are committed to bringing the beauty and elegance of Jazz to students and audiences alike. We aim make jazz accessible and approachable for listeners of all backgrounds which means that the group's programming is often drawn from artists ranging from Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus all the way to Prince, Radiohead and David Bowie. The CCJO also values collaboration and has reached across musical boundaries to welcome musicians of diverse perspectives and musical persuasions to share their stage.
In addition to performing alongside many of the world's brightest jazz stars, the band has partnered with everyone from Latin percussionists to classical string orchestras to full gospel choirs. The Orchestra has performed with several Grammy-winning and -nominated performers including composer Maria Schneider, trumpeter Lew Soloff, trombonist Conrad Herwig, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, saxophonist Lauren Sevian and trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, as well as NEA Jazz Master Saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and Rolling Stones musicians Tim Ries and Bernard Fowler. CCJO partnerships include Jazz at Lincoln Center, Xavier University Music Series, Memorial Hall Signature Series, Cincinnati Youth Choir, Dillsboro Jazz Festival, OTR Performs in Washington Park and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In the summer of 2023, the ensemble presented a free series at Fountain Square, A Tribute to the Jazz Masters, sponsored by Jamey Aebersold.
The artists that comprise the CCJO have performed, toured and/or recorded with many of the top names in the jazz and commercial music industry including Ray Charles, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Fred Hersch, Conrad Herwig, the Temptations, Tony Bennett, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Bootsy Collins, Clark Terry, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and many many more. As educators, nearly all of the ensemble members serve on the music faculties of prominent university music schools, including the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University and the University of Dayton. Eric Lechliter is the artistic director for the CCJO, appointed in 2019. Dr. Scott Belck and Rob Parton serve as ensemble artistic director emeriti.
The CCJO's Jazz@First series features thematic and exciting chamber jazz in an intimate setting at the First Unitarian Church. CCJO chairman and pianist Phil DeGreg leads the popular series which primarily features the Phil DeGreg Trio alongside jazz greats from Cincinnati and around the world.
In addition to maintaining its performance schedule, the CCJO has a similarly strong commitment to Jazz and cultural education. Through its two main educational programs - Collaborative Honing of Performance Skills (CHOPS) and "Let Freedom Swing," the organization provides no-cost guest clinicians for local Jazz programs as well as educational presentations for school districts throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. These programs seek to inspire and provide opportunities for the next generation of Jazz musicians and listeners.
CCJO’s Let Freedom Swing! (LFS!) program provides FREE interactive, live Jazz music presentations to schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. This renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center educational program was created by Wynton Marsalis and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to teach democracy through Jazz and create conversations about the parallels between these two great American traditions. Specific topics include: (1) Let Freedom Swing! (an overview focusing on Jazz and Democracy); (2) Jazz and Civil Rights; (3) Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance; and (4) Jazz and Communication (designed by CCJO educators). Additionally, LFS! satisfies national standards, as well as Ohio Department of Education K-12 Social Studies standards, including American History: Historical Thinking and Skills.
Our newest education program, CHOPS (Collaborative Honing of Performance Skills), was created in 2018 by the CCJO in an effort to encourage young musicians to improve their skills and to perform alongside our professional ensemble. The CCJO invites local high school and collegiate jazz bands throughout the community to open for CCJO's big band series at The Redmoor. This allows young jazz musicians to gain first-hand professional performance experience as well as to receive masterclasses by our CCJO musicians at no cost. These sessions have been received enthusiastically by students and their directors.
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The CCJO is the proud winner of the 2016 CityBeat Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Jazz Ensemble. CCJO events have also been nominated in several categories for the Movers & Makers Reader's Choice Awards.
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The CCJO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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CCJO Diversity Statement
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The CCJO exists to serve the Cincinnati community through the music we perform and present. We pledge to create and maintain a welcoming environment for our leadership, volunteers, musicians, audiences and those with whom we partner, that respects diverse background and experiences by committing ourselves to equal employment and volunteer opportunity without regard or preference to age, race, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, marital status, religious belief, or military status.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ERIC LECHLITER
Artistic Director
Eric Lechliter is an in-demand professional musician, arranger and educator based in Cincinnati, OH. As an active trumpet player, he plays frequently around the greater Cincinnati area. He has shared the stage with international recording artists including Jeff Hamilton, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock, Chris Vadala, Greg Gisbert, Terell Stafford, Byron Stripling, Bobby Broom, Barry Ries, Alex Norris, The Four Tops and the Temptations to name a few.
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As an arranger/composer, his music has been performed by several Tri-State roups of varying genres, including the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Schoolhouse Symphony. His big band music has been performed by many local ensembles in addition to international performances in Brazil, England and Norway. In 2016, he founded The Original Farm League Big Band, an ensemble dedicated to performing original music by living Cincinnati-based composers. In 2019, he began work as the Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. In 2022, CCJO released its first album We Are the CCJO, which is comprised entirely of Eric’s original compositions and arrangements.
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In addition to his playing and writing career he has maintained a busy schedule as a Jazz clinician, professor and private teacher. From 2017-2022 he led the Xavier Jazz Orchestra as an adjunct professor at Xavier University in Norwood, OH. Currently, Eric teaches as an adjunct instructor in the Jazz, Commercial Music Production and Preparatory departments at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
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Eric received a Bachelor’s degree in music education with a Jazz specialization in 2015, and a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies in 2024, both from CCM.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
LEANNE ANKLAN
Secretary
TOM BOECHER
Director
NANCY CROSSEN
Director
PHIL DEGREG
Chairman, Piano
JOHN LIEBERMAN
Treasurer
DOUG LILLIBRIDGE
President
ED LYON​
Director
SAM MOORE
Director
JEFF NEU
Director
MIKE PERRINO
Director
BARRY SCHWARTZ
Director
MONTY TAYLOR
Director
SANDY UHRIG
Director
JOE VALLO
Director
JANE WELLING
Vice President
JEFF BLANKENSHIP
Legal Counsel
SOLOISTS + PARTNERS
Lew Soloff, trumpet
Jon Faddis, trumpet
Byron Stripling, trumpet
Bobby Shew, trumpet
Vince DiMartino, trumpet
NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, tenor saxophone
Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Steve Lippia, vocals
Rick VanMatre, saxophone
Dave Stryker, guitar
Todd Stoll, conductor and educator
Kathy Wade, vocals
John Fedchock, trombone
Mark Madsen, vocals
Lisa Jelle, flute
Mzuri Moyo, vocals
John Von Ohlen, drums
Kristy Parton, vocals
Leslie Beukelman, vocals
Kim Pensyl, trumpet
Bruno Mangueira, guitar
Harry Allen, tenor saxophone
Members of the Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band
Adia Dobbins, vocals
Rusty Burge, vibraphone
Conrad Herwig, trombone
Wayne Bergeron, trumpet
Mike Wade, trumpet
Brent Gallaher, tenor saxophone
Alan Barnes, alto saxophone
Joe Lukasik, clarinet
Jared Roper, vocals
Scott Robinson, multi-instrumentalist
Brad Myers, guitar
Hal Melia, multi-instrumentalist
Lauren Sevian, baritone saxophone
Paul Kellar, bass
Andy Brown, guitar
Charlie Young, alto saxophone
Katelyn Fox, vocals
Eric Lechliter, conductor and trumpet
Josh Kline, tenor saxophone
Mandy Gaines, vocals
Jamey Aebersold, alto saxophone and educator
Cincinnati Youth Choir
Janelle Reichman, tenor saxophone
Robert Lomax, vocals
Ingrid Jensen, trumpet
Rolling Stones member Bernard Fowler, vocals
Rolling Stones member Tim Ries, tenor saxophone
Phil DeGreg, piano
Rob Parton, conductor and trumpet
Scott Belck, conductor and trumpet
Taylor Nelson, guitar
Maria Schneider, conductor and composer
Jim Snidero, saxophone
Dan Drees, saxophone
Sally Lukasik, trumpet
Steve Hoskins, multi-instrumentalist
Valérie Graschaire, vocals
StringSource, string orchestra
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SPONSORS
WILLIAM O. PURDY, JR. FOUNDATION FUND OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI FOUNDATION
Season Sponsor
AL HARRIS
Jazz@First Series Sponsor
Season Supporter
NELLIE LEAMAN TAFT FOUNDATION
Let Freedom Swing! Supporter
Season Supporter
WILLIAM O. PURDY, JR. FOUNDATION FUND OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI FOUNDATION
Season Supporter
JAZZ UP YOUR NEXT EVENT: HIRE THE CCJO
Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (CCJO) members are some of the preeminent Jazz artists in the nation. The members of the CCJO have performed, toured and/or recorded with many of the top names in the jazz and commercial music industry. These include Ray Charles, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, Fred Hersch, Conrad Herwig, the Temptations, Arturo Sandoval, Tony Bennett, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Bootsy Collins, Clark Terry, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
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Whether you are looking for a jazz trio for your cocktail hour or a full jazz ensemble for your wedding or private party, the CCJO can help make your entertainment dreams a reality. Contact CCJO booking manager Matthew Anklan today at mjanklan@gmail.com.