The M&J Big Band

In 2010, a school history project set the stage for a musical journey that would resonate beyond the walls of Pottsville Area High School and onto stages all across Pennsylvania. 

Originally founded by drummer Mike Denchy and sax Joe Senawaitis as “M&J’s Big Band” for a class presentation on the history of big band jazz, M&J Big Band has evolved into a full 18-piece ensemble and a regular fixture in eastern and central Pennsylvania’s jazz scene.  From the outset, the band has found guidance and mentorship from jazz icon and friend Larry Koch of Pottsville’s Braun School of Music.  The band further found its groove under the leadership of now-bandleader John Shoener in 2011, joined by associate bandleader Jacob Shoener in 2013 and assistant bandleader Josh Kovich in 2016. 

Now in their 15th season, M&J Big Band continues their mission to honor the timeless tunes and rhythms of the Swing-Era big bands and carry them forward into the next generation, with a special emphasis on paying tribute to the music of local Schuylkill County swing legends Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (Shenandoah, PA) and Les Brown (Reinerton, PA).  Mixing tradition with young talent (the average age of the band is 30!), M&J Big Band draws members from Schuylkill, Northumberland, Montgomery, Lancaster, and Adams Counties- all united by a common love for swing music.  Add in a large library of latin tunes, polkas, modern swing, rock, and everything in between, and the band is sure to have a chart and the personnel for any occasion. 

Throughout the years M&J Big Band has graced stages all across Pennsylvania: entertaining swing dancers at the Valencia Ballroom, Sunnybrook Ballroom, and Berwick WWII Weekend; supporting weddings and private parties at the Yuengling Mansion; opening for the Dave Stahl Big Band; headlining jazz and heritage festivals at high schools and other venues; hosting public concerts at the Majestic Theater, Whispering Oaks Vineyard, and Heisler’s Dairy Bar; and even releasing an album.  The band usually performs from April to August and around the Christmas holiday.