The Grand Ave Big Band has its roots with the Marquette University Jazz Ensembles. Most of the players in the band performed with Marquette under the direction of Dr. Nicholas J. Contorno.

In the spring of 1998, Brad Coons decided that once he graduated from Marquette, he still wanted to play jazz. So he decided to call on some friends and see if they wanted to put together an "alumni" band of some sort. Karl Schudt and Phil Zeman were the first to enthusiastically agree to play, and after that, more and more players were added.

With the number of talented performers, it was soon easy for Brad to see that this band could easily become a professional dance and jazz big band. A few spots needed to be filled, though, and we turned outside the scope of Marquette University to find them.

The band went through several name suggestions. But "Grand Ave Big Band" seemed to have a ring to it. The band practices at the Varsity Theatre on Marquette's campus, located on Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, WI. When Milwaukee was formed from three separate communities -- Walkers Point, Kilbourntown, and Juneau Town -- many decisions as to street names needed to be made. The main street eventually was called "Grand Avenue". This street later became known as "Wisconsin Avenue".

Therefore, it seemed only natural to incorporate the history of the street into our name. "Grand Avenue" brings to mind days of yesteryear and a rich history. The name was shortened to "Grand Ave" to flow more easily with "Big Band", and thus the band's identity was established.

Want to get in touch with us?

• For more information or to book us for your gig, contact grandavebb@skyjammer.com
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