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March 8, 2026

JAZZ ROYALTY, ELLINGTON AND BASIE REIGN

JAZZ ROYALTY, ELLINGTON AND BASIE REIGN

The Carol Busch Concert Series

Presented by the Busch Family Foundation

It’s a party—and a milestone! Celebrate the release of SSJO’s very first recording with a swinging tribute to jazz royalty: Count Basie and Duke Ellington.

From joining the Tommy Dorsey band at age 19 to playing with Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and Count Basie to leading his own Grammy nominated ensembles, no drummer alive has created a body of work equal to that of Jeff Hamilton’s. His contributions to the bands of seminal jazz figures such as Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, and Ella Fitzgerald and current stars like Diana Krall and Michael Bublé make him one of the most in-demand drummers of his generation. Join the Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra for an evening featuring Richmond, IN native Hamilton as they play some of the most compelling works from his five-decade career. You won’t want to miss the special Battle Royale with our own superb timekeeper (and Hamilton protégé) Maria Marmarou.

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