Rock Falls’ Bellson Music Fest adds fourth band to lineup

ROCK FALLS – The Yorkville Big Band will be on the lineup of bands to perform at the third annual Bellson Music Fest, Rock Falls Tourism has announced.

The festival will be June 8 at the RB&W District in Rock Falls. Also slated to perform are the Rock River Jazz Band, Josh Duffee and His Orchestra, and headliner band Steve Smith and Vital Information. One more band has yet to be announced, according to a news release.

This year’s festival is a centennial celebration of the legacy of Louie Bellson, a Rock Falls native who rose to become a renowned drummer, composer, band leader and six-time Grammy nominee. The event is hosted by Rock Falls Tourism, which works closely with Bellson’s widow, Francine Bellson, and Josh Duffee, a music director from Davenport, Iowa.

Five bands consisting of big band, jazz and music honoring Bellson will play from noon to 9:30 p.m. at the RB&W District amphitheater.

The Yorkville Big Band covers a wide genre of sounds of the 1940s and 1950s and incorporates modern arrangements of famous big bands. The band comprises 19 players, including two vocalists.