About The Band

 

The Kenny Janak Orchestra was formed in 2016 after acquiring the music library of the Eddie Janak Orchestra. Eddie was bandleader Kenny Janak's uncle and he had a popular band in the midwest from the late 1950s into the 1970s. The band often featured the clarinet work of Eddie, and Kenny's grandfather, Pete Janak. Eddie's music continues to be a big influence on the musical concepts and style of the band. The band has continued to build the musical repertoire over the past several  years, drawing from some of the great Czech, German, and American bands, as well as adding some original tunes.

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The musicians in KJO have extensive experience playing a wide variety of styles and genres but all share in the love of playing this great European-inspired music known as dechovka(Czech), blasmusik(German) or simply polka music! KJO aims to share their love of the music through carefully crafted arrangements of the songs played with energy and feeling. You'll hear vocals done in Czech and English with a little German as well. The band captures the classic Nebraska-Czech sound, but to provide some variety, you'll also hear the band perform some classic swing, pop, and Latin tunes, aiming to offer styles that appeal to a wide audience.

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We invite you to come hear us at a live show in the near future. There's always high-spirited music for your dancing and listening pleasure, plus you'll often find excellent beer, great food, and a fun party! We would love to play for your Oktoberfest, festival, birthday party, or any event where you want a festive atmosphere with lively music!

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​Members of the band:

• Kenny Janak - bandleader, clarinet, saxophone, vocals, composer, arranger

• Leslie Janak - clarinet, saxophone

• Cheryl Janak Janda - trumpet

• Jason Johnson - trumpet

• Julia Williams - accordion

• Jeff Janda - tuba, arranger

• Dean Fornoff - drums

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Kenny Janak Orchestra

Omaha, Nebraska, USA

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