|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| "Great Chicago Tenor Saxes" to perform with Chicago Jazz Ensemble The Chicago Jazz Ensemble (CJE), with artistic director Jon Faddis, announces “Great Chicago Tenor Saxes”. This is the second program of the Sixth American Heritage Series themed “The Roots of Chicago Jazz” and it features Johnny Griffin, Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Franz Jackson and Eric Alexander along with CJE. Johnny Griffin, “the fastest gun alive”, will display his agility on tenor sax with incredible speed and precision. Chicago-born in 1928, Johnny is considered one of the top Bop Tenors. He played with the bands of Lionel Hampton and Joe Morris and jammed regularly with Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. In the 50's, Johnny returned to Chicago to record his first full album for Argo, he held his own against fellow Tenors John Coltrane and Hank Mobley on a classic Blue Note album and played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as well as the Thelonious Monk Quartet. Emigrating to Europe in 1963, he became a fixture on the Paris jazz scene as a bandleader and a major soloist. Johnny remains a constant world traveler, visiting the U.S. often and recording for Blue Note, Riverside, Atlantic, SteepleChase, Black Lion, Antilles, Verve, and others. Von Freeman, Chicago's most influential Jazz Elder grew up on the Southside in a musical household that was often visited by family friends Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. At age 6, Von broke the horn off of his father’s Victrola, pieced it together with a wooden mouthpiece and started wailing into his very first “saxophone.” His father relented, bought Von a real instrument and by 12 he was playing nightclubs. After a stint in New York in the mid 40s, he returned to Chicago where he and his brothers joined the Pershing Ballroom house band backing the greats including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. His individual style is instantly recognizable and pays homage to Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Bird especially as it was practiced by Chicago's AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). Von worked with guitarist Jimmy Reed for four years and the great pianist Sunnyland Slim for over 13 years. Ira Sullivan is a true Multi-Instrumentalist who imporvises statements of worth on trumpet, a variety of reeds and saxophone. Since the 1950's Ira has demonstrated flowing virtuousity on the Chicago scene with seminal figures Charlie “Bird” Parker, Lester Young, Wardell Gray, Art Blakey and Roy Eldridge garnering a reputation as a fearsome Be-Bop soloist. Now located in Florida, Sullivan continues to play in the Miami area, influencing local young players, notably Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny. Franz Jackson is a living Jazz Treasure playing both tenor sax and clarinet. He studied at the Chicago Musical College, but began to perform in various bands at age 13. His first professional gig came at 16 with Albert Ammons. He has collaborated with Cassino Simpson, Carroll Dickerson, Jimmie Noone, Roy Eldridge, and Fletcher Henderson. He toured California with Earl Hines, played New York City with Fats Waller and Cootie Williams and played in Boston with Frankie Newton. Jackson's The Original Jass All-Stars had huge success and a long residency at the Red Arrow in Berwyn, Illinois. Franz continues to be active on the Chicago and International jazz scenes playing festivals and clubs throughout the world, and is often the main attraction for special events such as dinner in honor of the King of Sweden and the Jazz Series at the Tel Aviv Museum. Eric Alexander initiated his studies at the age of six on piano, took up his first reed at nine, then switched to alto saxophone at twelve. Much of his study was dedicated to classical technique and repertoire, until Eric committed himself to jazz as a way of life while a student at the University of Indiana. At that point, he converted to tenor sax, moved to New York City and enrolled at New Jersey's William Paterson College to immerse himself in the equivalent of advanced jazz studies. His mentors included tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Harold Mabern. The Chicago Jazz EnsembleTM was founded in 1965 by the late jazz composer William Russo as a professional jazz orchestra in residence at Columbia College Chicago. The 20-piece orchestra is comprised of Chicago’s jazz elite and its repertoire is derived from the early works of Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, as well as other jazz legends that have forged the American Jazz Heritage. This is the CJE’s first series with Artistic Director trumpet virtuoso, Jon Faddis. Faddis draws on over thirty years experience in performing with and conducting superb Jazz big bands such as Lionel Hampton’s Big Band and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (now the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra). Faddis served as music director for Dizzy Gillespie’s GrammyTM-award winning United Nation’s Orchestra, for Dizzy Gillespie’s 70th Birthday Big Band, and, after his mentor’s passing, Faddis led the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Big Band. Renowned for his leadership of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Faddis conducted over 40 concerts in ten years at Carnegie Hall, featuring over 135 musicians and 70 guest artists. With an extraordinary mission, “The Roots of Chicago Jazz” honors CJE’s 40 year history and forges an adventure in its mission of music education creating tomorrow’s legacy™. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |