In 46 years of the Rootabaga Jazz Festival at Knox College, no one has ever brought a full big band to headline the event — until now.
Andy Crawford, Managing Director of the Music Performance Program at Knox College and longtime festival organizer, joined Galesburg’s Morning News Monday morning to preview the 2026 festival, which runs May 5-9 at venues across Galesburg. Listen to the full interview below.
The Baga Big Band
This year’s headlining act is the Baga Big Band, a full 18-to-20-piece ensemble built around the original compositions of Justin Haynes, who has directed the Knox Jazz Ensemble for four years. Haynes grew up in Wataga, attended ROVA, graduated from Knox College in 2004, and taught at ROVA and Lewistown before returning to Knox.
Crawford said assembling a big band is a rare feat in modern jazz.
“Big bands don’t really exist that much outside of academia because there’s just so many people,” Crawford said. “To bring that many people together, both logistically and economically, is pretty tough.”
The Baga Big Band will include special guests Victor Garcia, Greg Ward, and Doug Stone, and will also perform big band arrangements of two original compositions by vocalist Alyssa Allgood.
Featured artists
Alyssa Allgood is a DownBeat Magazine Rising Star vocalist and two-time Chicago Reader Best Individual Jazz Musician. Crawford described her as coming from the Ella Fitzgerald tradition with her own modern twist. She performed at Knox’s fall jazz series last year and returns this week with her sextet, which performs Friday night at Smokin’ Willies BBQ before joining the Baga Big Band on Saturday at the Orpheum.
Victor Garcia, a Grammy-nominated trumpet player based in Chicago, headlined the festival two years ago and returns to lead the trumpet section of the Baga Big Band. Greg Ward, widely regarded as one of the top alto saxophone players in the world, is a Peoria native who has been active in Chicago and New York for years. Doug Stone, also a Peoria native, is based in New Orleans and teaches at Louisiana State University. Stone is making his first Rootabaga appearance and will lead the school tour with New Orleans-based repertoire.
The school tour — 11 years in
The festival’s school tour visits six Galesburg schools over two days: Costa, Silas Willard, Steele, King, Lombard, and Galesburg High School. Crawford said for many students, the all-school assemblies represent the only live music they hear all year.
Now in its 11th year, Crawford said the program is starting to show its long-term impact. His wife, a teacher at Galesburg High School, has heard students list jazz alongside Taylor Swift as their favorite music.
“That’s just crazy,” Crawford said she tells him. “Well, it’s because they’ve been exposed to it.”
High School All-Star Big Band
The Rootabaga High School All-Star Big Band returns for its second year, featuring students from eight regional schools including Washington, Canton, and Lewistown, nominated by their band directors. The students rehearsed with Justin Haynes over recent weeks and will open Saturday night’s show at the Orpheum — with professional guest artists sitting in alongside them.
Schedule and admission
Tuesday, May 5 — United High School, Monmouth, 7 p.m. School tour band led by Doug Stone. Free admission.
Wednesday, May 6 — Smokin’ Willies BBQ, 161 N. Cherry St., 6-10 p.m. Galesburg Junior High, Canton High School, ROVA High School, the Jammers, and the Cherry Street Combo with Doug Stone. $3 admission.
Thursday, May 7 — Smokin’ Willies BBQ, 7-10 p.m. Faculty and Friends Combo with Doug Stone. $5 admission.
Friday, May 8 — Smokin’ Willies BBQ, 6-10 p.m. Galesburg High School Big Bands open, followed by the Alyssa Allgood Sextet at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the Cherry Street Combo and Doug Stone at 8 p.m. $10 admission.
Saturday, May 9 — Orpheum Theatre, 6:30 p.m. Rootabaga High School All-Stars Big Band, Knox Jazz Ensemble, and the Baga Big Band. Free admission, thanks to the generosity of NAEIR.
Knox students get into all events free with student ID. More information and the full schedule are available at knox.edu/jazzyear.
