Pete Ellman Big Band

Biography

The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) is an 18-piece jazz big band based in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2009 by trumpeter and bandleader Pete Ellman after his retirement from the Illinois Air National Guard’s 566th Air Force Band, where he served for about 20 years.[2][3][6] Ellman, born in Chicago in 1962 and raised in nearby Naperville, grew up in a musical family that ran a music store in the Chicagoland area, and he later studied trumpet performance at DePaul University.[1][6] After extensive experience performing with big bands in Chicago and serving in the military band, he envisioned a high-level ensemble rooted in the suburbs so musicians and audiences could experience big band jazz without always traveling into the city.[1]

Musically, the Pete Ellman Big Band follows the classic big band jazz tradition, performing a wide range of big band charts from swing-era standards to contemporary arrangements, drawing on a substantial donated library of charts that helped launch the group.[1][2][3][6] The band performs regularly throughout the Chicagoland western suburbs—most notably in a weekly residency at The Venue in Aurora—and has developed a reputation as one of the strongest big bands in the Midwest.[3][4][6] Beyond performance, a core part of the band’s mission is educational: they routinely invite local student jazz ensembles to share the stage, provide guest clinicians from within the band, and host large-scale events such as the Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival, positioning PEBB as both a performing ensemble and a community hub for jazz education in the region.[2][4][6]

Over time, the ensemble’s impact has extended beyond concerts to structured outreach and philanthropy. As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Pete Ellman Big Band prioritizes giving back to the community by creating real-world performance opportunities for thousands of students and by organizing programs like the GIFTS initiative, which supplies instruments to students who otherwise could not afford them so they can join school band or orchestra programs.[2][4] The band’s festivals and clinics regularly feature internationally known guest artists, building connections between young musicians and top-tier professionals while reinforcing big band jazz as a living, evolving art form in the Midwest.[2][4][6]

Fun Facts

• The Pete Ellman Big Band was launched after Pete Ellman received a massive donation of big band charts from his friend Wayne Cook, who asked only that the music be put to good use—this donated library became the seed for the band’s repertoire.[1][2][6]
• PEBB operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with a mission centered not only on performance but also on jazz education and community outreach in the Chicago western suburbs.[2][6]
• In addition to starting an annual Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival that hosts around twenty school bands each year, PEBB brings in internationally known jazz artists to listen to and critique student ensembles, giving young players direct feedback from top professionals.[2][6]
• Through its GIFTS program, founded by Pete Ellman, the organization helps provide instruments to students who cannot otherwise afford them so they can participate in school band or orchestra, extending the band’s impact beyond jazz into broader music education access.[2]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Wayne Cook - Friend of Pete Ellman who donated hundreds of big band charts, effectively catalyzing the formation and early repertoire of the Pete Ellman Big Band; his library shaped the band’s book and direction. (Donation of big band chart library used as the foundation of PEBB’s repertoire) [Around 2009 (formation of the band)]

Key Collaborators

• Members of the 566th Air Force Band (Illinois Air National Guard) - Pete Ellman served as a trumpeter in the 566th Air Force Band for approximately 20 years; his experience and colleagues there informed his musicianship and later big band leadership. (Performances with the 566th Air Force Band prior to founding PEBB) [1980–2000[1][6]]
• Guest artists at the Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival (e.g., Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Jeff Coffin) - High-profile jazz artists brought in by the Pete Ellman Big Band to perform, listen to student bands, and provide feedback at the band’s annual jazz festival, strengthening PEBB’s artistic and educational profile. (Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival performances and clinics; 2015 festival featuring Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, and Jeff Coffin) [From 2011 onward, notably 2015 festival[2][6]]
• Student jazz ensembles from Chicagoland schools - PEBB regularly shares the stage with middle school and high school jazz bands, inviting them to perform on professional shows and providing band members as guest clinicians. (Weekly performances at venues such as Mullen’s (earlier) and The Venue in Aurora, often paired with school jazz ensembles; Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival) [2009–present[2][3][4]]

Artists Influenced

• Chicagoland student jazz musicians (multiple schools, including participants in the Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival) - Thousands of students have performed with or for the Pete Ellman Big Band, receiving coaching, clinic feedback, and exposure to professional big band performance, influencing their development as jazz players. (Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival; weekly joint performances with school jazz ensembles; educational clinics and historic jazz lectures) [2011–present for the festival; 2009–present for ongoing performances and clinics[2][4][6]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. High Speed Pursuit (For Pete's Ache)
2. Livin' larger Than Life (For Pete's Ache)
3. When Lights Are Low (For Pete's Ache)
4. For Pete's Ache (For Pete's Ache)
5. Soon It's Gonna Rain (For Pete's Ache)
6. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (For Pete's Ache)
7. Manteca the "A" Train (For Pete's Ache)
8. Tenor Sanity (For Pete's Ache)
9. Dos Cinco Juan (For Pete's Ache)
10. Home, Sweet Home (For Pete's Ache)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz