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The Troy Arts Council invites everyone to a free concert on Sunday, August 11, at 7 p.m. at the Claudia Crosby Theatre in Troy.

The IKS Big Band from Rüsselsheim, Germany, will perform legendary standards from Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman, as well as new compositions from the band.

IKS will play an encore performance on Thursday August 15 from 6-8 p.m. on the Square in Downtown Troy.

Olaf Lieb, Troy Arts Council board member, was a founding member of the band in the 1980s, and arranged for the band to visit Troy.

The band’s claim is not just a statement, it’s a promise. And since promises need to be kept, the IKS Big Band, based in Rüsselsheim, Germany, does exactly that: they bring back and perform tunes that have never lost their sense of charm.

From legendary jazz standards performed by Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman to modern, lesser-known and exceptionally arranged pieces by Gordon Goodwin, John Clayton, Sammy Nestico, to name a few, they perform a wide-ranging repertoire of swing music.

Over the years, the IKS Big Band has evolved from a school band, founded in 1986, to an orchestra that today is well-known throughout the region and beyond. Bandleader Horst Aussenhof has performed with the band’s musicians in several destinations across Europe and the U.S at international and renowned festivals such as Montreux or Honolulu.

The IKS Big Band acquired the skill of performing “Big Swing” from several concerts and collaborations with jazz masters such as James Moody, Mike Smith, Jiggs Wigham, Scott Hamilton, Bobby Shew, Paul Kuhn and many more. If there is one thing that can be taken for granted, it’s that Big Swing travels with them wherever they go.

Since the band is well-connected to the regional Lindy Hop scene and hosts dance events on a regular basis, they are often accompanied by a troupe of exceptionally talented dancers. Whether you are there to dance or simply want would like to listen to heavily swinging big band music, everyone is invited.