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“No matter how carefully and assiduously and how deeply you bury shit, the American public will find it and buy it in large quantity, It’s true, absolutely true.” - Artie Shaw |
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 Thursday, 08 January 2009 |
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Chicago Jazz Philharmonic to honor Nelson Mandela |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Saturday, 12 July 2008 |
 Chicago Jazz Philharmonic
To celebrate and honor the life and ideals of Nelson Mandela, on the occasion of his 90th birthday,. Orbert Davis, artistic director, composer, performer and conductor of Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, will premiere a new composition to honor the global message, struggle, perseverance, and triumph of this humanitarian icon. The orchestra will deliver the composition, entitled “Hope In Action,” which artistically represents Nelson Mandela’s ideals of diversity, inclusivity, and change. This free concert will take place on Monday, July 21, 6:30 pm at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Featured performers include.Ari Brown, Dee Alexander, T’Keyah Crystal Keymah, Zim Ngqawana and Bill Kurtis.
Orbert Davis' 50-plus piece orchestra will take center stage and premiere a new composition honoring the life and ideals of Nelson Mandela, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Mandela's global message of struggle, perseverance, and triumph inspired Orbert to present this as part one of a concert series entitled "Humanity."
The composition will seamlessly weave jazz and classical, African rhythms, interspersed with moments of inspirational narration, and culminating with a grand chorus of a children’s choir. In conjunction with the event, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic will host and feature prominent South African jazz saxophonist and educator Zim Ngqawana, as its first “Artist-In-Residence.”
 Dee Alexander
Bill Kurtis is a journalist, producer, and author who have more than 40 years of experience as an award-winning journalist. Under his own production company, Kurtis Productions, he created Investigative Reports, Cold Case Files, and other programs for the A&E Television Network. As a producer, Kurtis earned two Emmy Award nominations for Cold Case Files for Outstanding Nonfiction Series in 2004 and 2005.
Zim Ngqawana’s style is rather difficult to define to a single label or genre. With an avant-garde approach to his music he pools his vast knowledge of traditional African music with his equivalently awesome knowledge of jazz to interpret and adapt these classics into new and inspiring interpretations. His music furthermore contains elements of bop, funk, Indian and Western classical music, samba, tango, vocal chants — highly percussive and often danceable.
T’Keyah Crystal Keymah is best known for her acclaimed work on three pioneering television shows; In Living Color, Cosby and That’s So Raven, Disney Channel’s #1 hit. Alongside Raven~Symone, T’Keyah plays the character of Tanya Baxter, but millions of children worldwide just think of her adoringly as “Raven’s Mom.” She is also the voice of Bumblebee on the WB’s animated series Teen Titans and Trixie’s mom, Mrs. Carter on Disney’s American Dragon.
Dee Alexander is one of the most gifted and respected female vocalist today. Though her talents can span every music genre, her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through Jazz. From a soft, sultry traditional ballad, to a contemporary Jazz-Funk groove; from a high flying swing, to a scat-filled romp, Dee Alexander delivers on each and every note with a style and grace that is truly her own.
Ari Brown is a popular tenor saxophonist/pianist is an important member of the Chicago avant-garde jazz scene, and a veteran sideman. His technique and traditional jazz chops are excellent and highly expressive on both of his instruments. Chicago Reader critic Peter Margasak calls Brown “a terrific saxophonist with a deep understanding of both Bebop’s complex rhythms and the wild expressionism of Free Jazz.”
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic will deliver this message through its arsenal of talent and musical expression. The 55+ piece orchestra represents both inner and outer diversity, not only through its cultural composition, but also in its individual artistry. Orchestra members are comprised of both classically trained musicians steeped in Jazz, and Jazz masters that can speak the classical language. More importantly, genre divisions are not defined by ethnicity. The end result is a seamless melding of jazz and classical languages, an astounding feat that currently, has no counterpart within the United States.
For more information visit www.chicagoformandela.org and www.chicagojazzphilharmonic.org
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