For years, Jazz Standard has been the site of exceptional performances by some of the finest big bands of the past quarter–century: the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Oliver Lake Big Band, the Gil Evans Cen­tennial Band, and more. In 2020, Jazz Standard continues to set the pace with monthly appearances by the Michael Leonhart Orchestra (MLO), a genre–crossing 15–piece ensemble that has been putting on electri­fying shows (on our stage and elsewhere) for the past three years. The MLO performs GRAMMY Award winner Leonhart’s original compositions alongside his imaginative arrangements of songs by (among others) Wu-Tang Clan, Fela Kuti, Duke Ellington, and Frank Zappa. This dynamic ensemble features players from such esteemed organizations as the Dap–Kings, the Mingus Big Band, and “The Tonight Show” band (The Roots).