WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra Kicks of the Al Sears Music Fest, 19 September | Event in Macomb | AllEvents

WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra Kicks of the Al Sears Music Fest

Western Illinois Museum

Highlights

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025 at 07:00 pm

2 hours

American Legion, Post 6, 221 E Washington St. Macomb, Il

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Date & Location

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm (CDT)

American Legion, Post 6, 221 E Washington St. Macomb, Il

221 E Washington St, Macomb, IL 61455-2211, United States

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About the event

WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra Kicks of the Al Sears Music Fest
On Friday, Sept. 19, the Al Sears Music Fest kicks off at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Post 6 with WIU’s Jazz Studio Orchestra (JSO), a longstanding favorite that has performed every year since the festival’s inception.

The JSO is the premier large jazz ensemble at Western Illinois University. The group performs contemporary works by renowned jazz composers such as Jim McNeely and Maria Schneider, as well as classic repertoire from the Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Woody Herman orchestras. Each February, the JSO appears with internationally acclaimed jazz artists at the WIU Jazz Festival. The ensemble tours the Midwest annually and has also performed in Europe. Among its many accolades are a Grammy nomination for Jazz at the Crossroads and four-star recognition from DownBeat magazine for its CD release The Third Degree. The Jazz Studio Orchestra has performed at The Green Mill and The Jazz Showcase, and was featured with Italian jazz composer Marco Renzi and clarinetist Bepi D'Amato at Carnegie Hall in 2010.

The Al Sears Music Fest is an annual celebration honoring Macomb native and musical trailblazer Al Sears (1910–1990), a saxophonist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who played with jazz legends and helped shape the sound of early rock and roll.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can explore Al Sears’s remarkable career, from performing with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton to producing records and influencing the music industry as an executive with ABC Paramount. The Western Illinois Museum will feature photographs, recordings, and artifacts related to his work.

Bring your family, invite your friends, and celebrate Al Sears and Macomb’s unique place in American music history. Enjoy delicious meals from Sandra’s Authentic Mexican Food Truck, available both Saturday and Sunday.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Performing Arts Society.

For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email aW5mbyB8IHdpbXVzZXVtICEgb3Jn.

Macomb’s American Legion, Post 6, is located at 221 E Washington St. The Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. Both buildings are fully accessible, and free accessible parking is available.


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American Legion, Post 6, 221 E Washington St. Macomb, Il, 221 E Washington St, Macomb, IL 61455-2211, United States
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WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra Kicks of the Al Sears Music Fest, 19 September | Event in Macomb | AllEvents
WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra Kicks of the Al Sears Music Fest
Fri, 19 Sep, 2025 at 07:00 pm