The Blue Wisp Big Band was formed in 1980 by trumpeter Don Johnson and drummer John Von Ohlen, who named their new outfit after the now-closed Blue Wisp Jazz Club. Von Ohlen had spent years touring with big-name jazz orchestras, including those of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton.
Van Ohlen decided to form his group because he had listened to local musicians but discovered they:
“. . . weren’t playing any jazz, which is the reason they started playing in the first place.”
He wanted to create a big band with world-class talent, but have it performed in a beer joint, or a tavern, where it would be accessible to people stopping in for a brew. Once the outfit was formed, Von Ohlen and Johnson asked the owners of the Blue Wisp if they could:
“. . . bring in a big band and blow the roof off the place.”
That was the beginning of what is regarded as Cincinnati’s top jazz orchestra.
The Blue Wisp Big Band 42nd Annual Thanksgiving Eve Extravaganza is scheduled for November 23 at 7.00 pm, at the Caffè Vivace Coffee House and Jazz Lounge on East McMillan Street. Two sets are planned, from 7.00 pm until 8.20 pm, and from 9.00 pm until 10.20 pm. Tickets will be sold separately for each set. Events like these can be advertised successfully when organizers use poster printing to create colorful artwork.