by Cathy Tyson (original published in the Lamorinda Weekly) Businessman by day and musical force of nature by night, Maurice “Mo” Levich recently won the Jefferson Award for Public Service for his years of dedicated volunteer work. Since 1998, Levich, who has a…

Our music for the day came from the Big Band of Rossmoor, under the direction of Mo Levich. The band is part of the nonprofit Generations in Jazz Foundation. This multigenerational band features musicians ranging in age from 14 to 91. The group’s big band sound is supplemented by string, flute and clarinet sections. Passengers were entertained with plenty of 1940s musical offerings.

A Frank Como Celebration & Dedication – Frank Como began contributing to Generations in Jazz’s mission to preserve Jazz as an American Art form, by working with young musicians performing with the Big Band of Rossmoor beginning in 2002. Musicians young and old have been given a gift after performing a Frank Como arrangement. Hi passion for the arts and specifically our youth has truly changed lives. Frank has created opportunities for our youngest “stars” to know what it’s like to be featured in a Big Band performance conducted by a true legend of his time. His long career writing, arranging and performing, spans seven decades from coast to coast.

The Concert at the Res was introduced to the community 10 years ago. It was envisioned that the concert would showcase accomplished musicians from our outstanding local school music programs while entertaining the community surrounded by the beauty of our Lafayette reservoir, as well as raise money to support local school music programs and other local Rotary charities.

Rossmoor Big Band returns to participate in the 9th annual “Rotary Concert @ RES, at the Lafayette Reservoir on Saturday ,May 31st. The FREE concert starts at noon and everyone is invited.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words then the picture on the front page of this newsletter has to be worth about a million and a half, give or take a few. It tells the story of big band music bridging the gap of 70 years or three generations, maybe even four. If anybody tells you that OUR music is dead, point out that George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and many others were born in the 1800s. They may be dead but their music is very much alive.

Rossmoor Big Band returns to participate in the 9th annual “Rotary Concert @ RES, at the Lafayette Reservoir on Saturday ,May 31st. The FREE concert starts at noon and everyone is invited.

The Concert at the Res was first introduced to the community eight years ago. It was envisioned that the concert would showcase accomplished musicians from our outstanding local school music programs while entertaining the community surrounded by the beauty of our Lafayette reservoir, as well as raise money to support the school music programs and other local Rotary charities.

Historical record of musicians in the band, as of January 2001.