Cab Calloway Orchestra

Smooth shiny instruments all in a row, red-hot lyrics, silky smooth ensemble work, spicy brass harmonies, a joyful audience bouncing and swaying to irresistible rhythms, and the sound of “Hi Di Ho!” filling theaters on cue: These have been the classic trademarks of concerts by The Cab Calloway Orchestra since the 1920s. They are the ingredients that made the orchestra a hit when it played the Palais Royale in downtown South Bend in 1939, and it’s the same mix that gives the group its energy and popularity today.