Name: Chicago Jazz Orchestra feat Mardra Thomas
Start: 2025-08-11T17:30:00
Location: Dearborn Station

Mardra Thomas

Jazz Showcase

Named a 2024 Downbeat Magazine “Rising Star”, composer and percussionist Thaddeus Tukes is one of the most dynamic musicians in America. Presented as the "World's Best Vibraphonist" by World Expo 2020 in Dubai, his virtuosity and creativity "brings poetry to the vibraphone" (Chicago Tribune, 2019), which has captivated audiences around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Symphony Center in Chicago, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. As one of “Chicago’s Hidden Gems” (CBS, 2023), Thaddeus honors the legacy of the jazz tradition and beyond.

Vibraphonist Thaddeus Tukes Quintet

Dearborn Station

In August 1979, the ensemble was the opening band on the first night of the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. 44 years later, the CJO stands as not only the oldest professional big band in Chicago, but also the second oldest professional civic jazz orchestra in the United States (second only to the Columbus Jazz Orchestra).