Two Big Bands and Food Drive at Palatine's Durty Nellie's Nov. 8

A fifth holiday canned food drive and a return performance by the Wheeling High School Jazz Band 1 will be the special features at the Jazz Consortium Big Band's performance Sun. Nov. 8 at Durty Nellie's Pub, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Directed by Brian Logan, the Wheeling band will play at 6:00, immediately followed by the Jazz Consortium, which plays until 9:00. All ages are welcome. Cover is $10, or $5 for students 17 and under. Reservations suggested, phone 847.358.9150. Website: www.durtynellies.com.

"This is our fifth year asking everyone to bring canned or non-perishable food items, which we will deliver to the Palatine Township Food Pantry," says Jazz Consortium bandleader Roy Vombrack. "Each year the response has been better and better--it's been very gratifying." The pantry has a list of especially needed items at www.palatinetownship.com/foodpantry.

"It's also our fifth year of giving local school jazz bands the opportunity to perform in a club setting, and for our audience to hear the next generation of upcoming jazz musicians--and hear us too."

Well into its fifth full year of residency at Durty Nellie's, the Jazz Consortium Big Band's brassy mix of 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes and rhythm section first came together in the mid-1970's, consisting of former and current University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University musicians with a love of Big Band music. The group went on to perform at jazz clubs, nightspots and concerts throughout Chicagoland, including an appearance at the Chicago Jazz Festival.

The Jazz Consortium disbanded in the early 1980's, with most of the members going on to full-time music careers. The band reunited four years ago, and it has since been performing second Sundays monthly at Durty Nellie's, as well as playing numerous concerts and clubs throughout the area, most recently at Chicago's famous Jazz Showcase nightclub.