Quintessence Series and Beyond

Published October 16, 2026

Quintessence Series and Beyond

by Chuck Reider

Summer is in the rearview mirror so let’s jump right into the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s (RJO) Quintessence series, the RJO 30th, RYJO EP, and a Donny Hathaway recording update.

But wait…

Last Sunday guest vocalist Kathleen Grace joined the RJO celebrating the Divas of Jazz. Think Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, or Natalie Cole. Grace is an engaging artist comfortable in a wide variety of music settings, but her home is jazz. Music Director Greg Johnson and Grace have a long working music relationship which was readily apparent from the very start. Johnson’s arrangements, vocalist Grace, and the orchestra combined to create a memorable afternoon resulting in a standing ovation.

Experience our fourth season of the Quintessence Music Series 2026-2027 all at UNR Nightingale Hall / Church Fine Arts Building.

RJO Music Director Greg Johnson joins me to share our thoughts:
 

Home for the Holidays | Part II

December 13, 2026 at 2pm

Greg: After the success of last year’s “Home for the Holidays,” I’m excited to have the band perform new arrangements of classic Christmas tunes. We will reach deeper into the wealth of talented singers in Reno and put on a great show. Home for the Holidays (part 2) will be the exciting sequel that you didn’t know you needed!

Chuck: The RJO has celebrated the holidays with quite a variety of programs from A Gospel Christmas, A World of Joy, guest artists like Tierney Sutton and Cliff Porter, and Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite featuring the Sierra Nevada Ballet. It is the Home for the Holidays program that is a favorite. I really like to showcase the local vocal talents. It feels like a concert sitting in your favorite chair next to the fireplace… warm and cozy.
 

Legends featuring Bob Mintzer

March 14, 2027 at 4pm

Greg: Bob Mintzer has been one of my biggest inspirations for many years now. I was fortunate enough to work with him at USC while I was getting my doctorate and to play in his big band.  Bob influenced me to put in the work and to be a central figure in the creation of musical projects across many genres.  

Chuck: Bob Mintzer is a jazz icon who has done it all. Grammy Awards, a member of the Yellowjackets, big bands from Tito Puente to the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, so many small groups, too many to mention (okay, two: Art Blakey and Jaco Pastorius).  Mintzer is a prolific big band composer and arranger with many albums under his belt.  Several years ago, Mintzer came to perform with the RJO and he brought his good friend pianist Russell Ferante.  What a treat that was!
 

American Patrol Revisited

May 9, 2027 (Mother’s Day) at 4pm

Greg: American Patrol Revisited is the Reno Jazz Orchestra’s revival of some of the most classic big band music of all time. Think Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers, but in a modern context. This project will involve all of your favorite songs “In The Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction,” and “Sing Sing Sing.” Don’t miss this one!

Chuck: American Patrol Revisited takes me back to the days of playing in dance bands and casino showroom dinner music. Yes, it was a tradition for the casino orchestra to play about fifteen minutes of music prior to the dinner show. All swing music. I am looking forward to Greg’s re-imagination of that music.

November 14th and 15th the RJO and the Discover Jazz Workshop students take the stage in the Note-Ables Music Therapy Services auditorium.  A very intimate setting where the music is up close and personal… 90-seat max.

2027 is RJO’s 30th anniversary and we are planning a yearlong celebration. How about thirty concerts to celebrate over the course of the year featuring the RJO, the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra, and RJO combos! If you have ideas on how we can celebrate, let me know.

Last September the RJO produced a first. The RJO with strings, vocalist Cliff Porter, and back up singers performing a tribute to the great Donny Hathaway. It was memorable and fortunately we recorded it! Tom Gordon and Todd Rold were the recording engineers and Mike Eardley performed the magic of mixing and editing. I love live albums but a 30-piece orchestra with singers required 60 microphones. This creates “bleed,” the sound of one instrument recorded on a different instrument’s mic. That is noise and there was a lot of it. Mike meticulously cleaned all of that, edited and mixed the tracks so you can better hear all that is going on.

Here is link to a short sample of before and after: https://on.soundcloud.com/p4ihObYNHzAT0f5MyZ

Stay tuned, an album will be coming out.

And we have a bonus. A gracious donor sponsored a Reno Youth Jazz recording session and here is the link: soundcloud.com/reno-jazz-orchestra/sets/reno-youth-jazz-orchestra

Tickets for all the above will be available soon on our website: www.renojazzorchestra.org

Join us this season!
 

Chuck Reider is the the President of the Reno Jazz Orchestra.

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