Why the CJO?
As we celebrate our 40th year, we’re sharing stories and memories from CJO board members (current and former) and fans.
Musette Vincent
board member, May 2023-present
Musette Vincent
What was your introduction to jazz?
My childhood soundtrack is a jazz score. My father played it. My mother cleaned the house to it. Their tastes diverged, but it was everywhere, all the time. Half of their friends were musicians and their wives. CJO evokes memories of coloring books on the floor at big band rehearsals, backyard barbecue jam sessions and Christmas morning listening to guys in tuxedos who hadn't yet been to bed.
“CJO evokes memories of coloring books on the floor at big band rehearsals, backyard barbecue jam sessions and Christmas morning listening to guys in tuxedos who hadn’t yet been to bed.”
What do you hope to have achieved by the end of your time on the Board?
That CJO is fully prepared to continue its mission in perpetuity.
What is one of your fondest memories from a jazz concert?
I babysat Dorothy Donegan's young son when she would perform in Cleveland. One night at the Theatrical she invited me to sit next to her at the piano and asked me what I wanted to hear(!) Of course I asked for boogie-woogie. The heat and energy that came off of her, and seeing so up close the utter joy and intense concentration with which she played has stayed with me forever.
What do you think is unique or different about the CJO?
The variety of music and styles at each concert. I think CJO is unusual among big bands in that an evening can feature standards, straight ahead, inventive arrangements of standards, and entirely new music, all on the same playlist, and all of it is performed so well.
“Jazz creates now, today, every minute, and makes old creations into new creations.”
Why see the CJO this season?
Those who have never seen a big band live cannot appreciate the power and majesty of 16 mostly acoustic and unamplified instruments played by 16 different people who together forge something greater by far than the sum of its parts, and each of whom can riff endlessly on a theme and create something new each time they play it. You can’t get that from The Cleveland Orchestra. There is much talk of interpretation and technique, but the actual creativity, as amazing as it is, occurred hundreds of years ago. Jazz creates now, today, every minute, and makes old creations into new creations. I hope everyone will come to enjoy the experience this season, and will bring a child.