The Albert Lea High School Bands will be presenting a jazz concert at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, in the ALHS Commons. This concert will be free, and will feature ALHS Jazz I and Jazz II along with special guests Southern Minnesota’s Real Big Band from Mankato.

The Real Big Band is 18 of the Mankato area’s top jazz players performing a wide variety of contemporary jazz, including the music of Gordon Goodwin, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Maynard Ferguson and more! RBB, now in its 10th season,  performs several times a year for school concerts, jazz festivals and other events and  have backed such artists as Mark Colby, Denis DiBlasio, Tom Garling, Kirk Garrison, Nachito Herrera, the Hornheads, Steve Houghton, Dean Sorenson, Mike Tomaro, Chris Vadala and Pete Whitman.

The RBB is a frequent guest at schools across Minnesota; they have also played concerts in Austin, Dassel, Dodge Center, Farmington, Janesville, Lamberton, Mankato, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Richland, Owatonna, Redwood Falls, St. Francis, Shakopee, Waseca and Waterville.

The mission of the Real Big Band is to help keep live jazz alive in southern Minnesota. They perform to help promote jazz as America’s art form while providing an opportunity for adults to continue playing the music they love. They hope audiences enjoy sharing this great music while they show student musicians “you can keep playing after graduation!”