LJO Concerts and Events

    Past Events

  • Saturday, March 23 2024, 7:30 pm
    "Duking It Out" Tom Wopat with LJO
    Location: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King St., La Crosse, WI
    Tom Wopat came to fame in the ’70s as Luke Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard and has since been a mainstay on stage and screen ever since. While appreciative of that experience, Wopat wisely moved forward with a career in which his first two loves - music and theater - ultimately yielded immensely rewarding results.

    On the big screen his credits include “Django,” “New Money,” and the leading role in “County Line.” On TV, Tom graced such popular programs as "Medium," "Smallville," "Blue Bloods," "The Blacklist," "Madam Secretary" and had a recurring sheriff role in the series Longmire (2012). His Broadway roles include “Chicago,” “42nd Street,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” and “Catch Me If You Can.”

    Wopat has had several appearances in New York jazz clubs, notably with his music director Tedd Firth (also music director/ pianist for Michael Feinstein and Marilyn May). Tedd will be joining Tom for this performance taking the piano chair with the LJO.

    Wopat’s many recordings include two superb jazz offerings. “Still of the Night” features Tom with a large jazz orchestra performing standards from the American Song book while “Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen” features Wopat with a swinging jazz combo comprised of NYC’s best session players!

    This will be Tom’s first live- appearance with big band. The musical arrangements have been specially prepared for this engagement by Tedd Firth and will include
    Tom’s original “County Line” theme song, “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress,” “Someday Baby,” Sinatra favorite “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” and several more.

    The LJO will perform the music of Duke Ellington as reinterpreted by Clark Terry, John Fedchock and Alan Baylock. Terry’s version of Perdido will give the whole ensemble brief solo space creating joyous energy for all.

    TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-crosse-jazz-orchestra-with-tom-wopat-tickets-694255726567?aff=oddtdtcreator
  • Friday, March 22 2024, 7:30 pm
    "Duking It Out"! Tom Wopat with the LJO
    Location: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King St., La Crosse, WI
    Tom Wopat came to fame in the ’70s as Luke Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard and has since been a mainstay on stage and screen ever since. While appreciative of that experience, Wopat wisely moved forward with a career in which his first two loves - music and theater - ultimately yielded immensely rewarding results.

    On the big screen his credits include “Django,” “New Money,” and the leading role in “County Line.” On TV, Tom graced such popular programs as "Medium," "Smallville," "Blue Bloods," "The Blacklist," "Madam Secretary" and had a recurring sheriff role in the series Longmire (2012). His Broadway roles include “Chicago,” “42nd Street,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” and “Catch Me If You Can.”

    Wopat has had several appearances in New York jazz clubs, notably with his music director Tedd Firth (also music director/ pianist for Michael Feinstein and Marilyn May). Tedd will be joining Tom for this performance taking the piano chair with the LJO.

    Wopat’s many recordings include two superb jazz offerings. “Still of the Night” features Tom with a large jazz orchestra performing standards from the American Song book while “Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen” features Wopat with a swinging jazz combo comprised of NYC’s best session players!

    This will be Tom’s first live- appearance with big band. The musical arrangements have been specially prepared for this engagement by Tedd Firth and will include
    Tom’s original “County Line” theme song, “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress,” “Someday Baby,” Sinatra favorite “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” and several more.

    The LJO will perform the music of Duke Ellington as reinterpreted by Clark Terry, John Fedchock and Alan Baylock. Terry’s version of Perdido will give the whole ensemble brief solo space creating joyous energy for all.

    TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-crosse-jazz-orchestra-with-tom-wopat-tickets-694255726567?aff=oddtdtcreator
  • Saturday, December 9 2023, 7:30 pm
    LJO presents A HOLLY JAZZY CHRISTMAS
    Location: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King St., La Crosse, WI
    Join us for Holiday Classics in a Jazz style. Featuring Vocalist Debbie O'Keefe.

  • Friday, December 8 2023, 7:30 pm
    LJO presents A HOLLY JAZZY CHRISTMAS
    Location: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King St., La Crosse, WI
    Join us for Holiday Classics in a Jazz style. The concert will feature great Yule time arrangements like “The Nutcracker Suite” as envisioned by the great Les Brown Jazz Orchestra, plus several new offerings and a wonderful slate of guest musicians. St. Paul jazz singer Debbie O’Keefe, Twin Cities pianist Laura Caviani and Madison lead trumpeter Jon Schipper.


    Debbie O'Keefe has been a talented and popular mainstay of the Twin Cities area big band scene for over twenty years. She regularly performs with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, Century College Jazz Ensemble, The Blue Eyes Band, and St. Croix Jazz Orchestra as well as corporate and social events. She also performs with the Girl Singers franchise which tours and performs nationwide. Her first love is big band jazz and she is thrilled to be performing with the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra, especially during the holidays!
  • Friday, October 20 2023, 7:30 pm
    La Crosse Jazz Orchestra with Janet Planet
    Location: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King St., La Crosse, WI
    The LaCrosse Jazz Orchestra moves indoors for the first of three concerts at Capella Performing Arts Center. We are excited to have Janet Planet return as our guest artist in her fourth appearance with the LJO!


    Janet Planet has been described as a “The voice of the new jazz culture with seemingly limitless expression” by Jazziz Magazine, the spirited and vivacious Janet Planet has been self-produced and managed for the majority of her 40-year career.

    In 2017, "Janet Planet - Just Like a Woman - The Music of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2" was up for GRAMMY consideration. In 2018, “John Harmon and Janet Planet Da Capo” and in 2021 “Under the Venus Moon” was considered for the GRAMMY.

    Active in all aspects of the business, she is a performer, producer, teacher, recording artist, voice-over talent, and commercial singer. On the jazz faculty at Lawrence University, she also co-owns Steel Moon Recording Studio and Stellar Records with her husband, Tom Washatka.

    The music of Johnny Mandel is Planet’s most recent project. In 2022 Janet and her husband, saxophonist, Tom Washatka, performed the project at the London Jazz Fest.

    www.janetplanet.com


  • Sunday, July 30 2023, 7:00 pm
    Jazz In The Park
    Location: Riverside Park Bandshell
    Rain Site: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King Street
    The final concert of the 2023 Season "Road Trip: Coast To Coast" features the music of Wisconsin Family and Friends. Feature guest artist will be Vocalist, Steve March-Torme.

    Singer/songwriter Steve March-Tormé is the son of the multi-talented Mel Tormé and stepson of the actor/comedian Hal March, host of NBC-TV’s The $64,000 Question Show.

    www.stevemarchtorme.com
  • Sunday, July 23 2023, 7:00 pm
    Jazz In The Park
    Location: Riverside Park Bandshell
    Rain Site: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King Street
    The third concert of the 2023 Season "Road Trip: Coast To Coast with The LJO" focuses on bands and composers Top to Bottom along I-95.
  • Sunday, July 16 2023, 7:00 pm
    Jazz In The Park
    Location: Riverside Park Bandshell
    Rain Site: Cappella Performing Arts Center - 721 King Street
    The second concert of the 2023 Season "Road Trip: Coast To Coast with The LJO" focuses on the Big Band music from The Heartland.
  • Sunday, July 9 2023, 7:00 pm
    JAZZ IN THE PARK
    Location: Riverside Park Bandshell
    Rain Site: Cappella Performing Arts Center 721 King Street
    The first concert of the 2023 Season "Road Trip: Coast To Coast with The LJO" starts on the West Coast Pacific Highway. This concert will feature the music of Big Bands and Composers from Vancouver to San Diego.


Venue information

Riverside Park | 

Cappella Performing Arts Center