Our Story
The Balcony Big Band…
…is an 18-member modern jazz ensemble that has established itself as a Pittsburgh musical institution since its inception in 1988. In an effort to model the jazz clubs of New York City, the owners of The Balcony club in Shadyside requested that HB Bennett, a Pittsburgh drummer who booked bands for the club, form a big band to perform on Monday nights. Due to stage size restrictions, the original Balcony Big Band had only twelve members. The band focused on modern jazz ensemble repertoire, performing compositions by Thad Jones, Bob Mintzer, Rob McConnel, and others. Soon, the club expanded and so did the band. In 1993 the BalconyBig Band recorded a studio album titled “Seasoned to Taste.” The band continued Monday night performances until the club’s closing in December 1997. Soon after, the Balcony Big Band moved to Foster’s in the Oakland Holiday Inn, a residency that lasted for only a few years. Next the band sought new homes at the James Street Café, Club Café, and eventually the Chapel of Blues, where they enjoyed a two-year stint until the club’s closing in 2003.The band was without venue for nearly ten years until November 2012, when trumpeter Joe Herndon reconstructed the group for weekly Monday night performances at Jergel’s in Warrendale. The current Balcony Big Band contains several of the group’s original 1998 members, as well as many alumni from the various phases of the band and several completely new members. The band continues to perform the music of the modern jazz ensemble repertoire, including works by the aforementioned composers as well as Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, and composer/arranger band members Ralph Guzzi, Raymond DeFade, and Steve McKnight.
With its home base firmly planted the Pittsburgh region, the band performs regularly dazzling audiences with its arrangements of classic and contemporary jazz. Amidst the group's success it has started down a new path to bring their decades of expertise and training as performer/educators to the next generation of jazz students. Educational outreach is now a primary function of the group in addition to performances and recordings. The group has given dozens of clinics across the region at high schools and colleges. As the majority of the group's members are collegiate music educators themselves this was certainlythe "next logical step" says Joe Herndon the current band leader. This gives students the chance to learn from music department faculty from some of the most prestigious universities in the region as well as study with professional players with a wealth of knowledge. All this happens under one roof making for an unprecedented day of jazz education.
The Balcony Big Band "2.0" is now serving the mid-Atlantic region as the only full size 18-member jazz orchestra that is available for masterclasses. With this new mission statement and motivation, the group has also hosted over 60 high school and college jazz ensembles to perform with them at their regular events in real jazz clubs around Pittsburgh. This is giving young people an unforgettable and priceless experience in furthering them as professional players and music educators. "We are doing the best we can to keep jazz alive and the only way to do that is to build that passion in the future generation of performers and educators that was cultivated in us as young people." says Joe. "Any member in the group will tell you they would've killed to have access to a group like ours when they were in school. The music business is tricky and having people that are ready to help you network, give you playing opportunities and grow you as a player is invaluable. That's what we are trying to do here."
