RAMI award-winning group the Dean Moriarty Jazz Band will perform in concert at The Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center in Rockford on Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will debut original compositions and arrangements by the group and feature special guests including Beloit Janesville Symphony conductor and guitarist Rob Tomaro.

 

In addition to receiving the Rockford Area Music Industry top award for Best Contemporary Jazz Band, the Dean Moriarty Jazz Band has earned the Platinum Best of Rockford designation from the On the Waterfront committee. Their last concert at the Mendelssohn sold out to a standing room only crowd.

 

Named for the offbeat character in Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road, the Dean Moriarty Jazz Band has been playing to enthusiastic audiences for over a decade in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The band’s repertoire includes original compositions in a variety of styles ranging from straight jazz and bebop to energetic Latin sounds. 

 

Featured players include Shawn Bell, trombone; Tito Cevallos, percussion; Dan Kasten, drums; Jeff Layng, flugelhorn and trumpet; Phil Pilcher, sax and flute; Bob Rub, piano; Tim Shaffer, bass and Rob Tomaro, guitar.

 

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at the Rockford Area Arts Council, 713 E. State Street, Rockford or at the door the evening of the concert. For more information go to www.deanmjazz.com.