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| Festival Geniuses: Ken Vandermark & Miguel Zenón  Over the years, a number of jazz musicians have received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Jazz Festival 55 is pleased to present two of them on Saturday, August 8 - saxophonists Ken Vandermark and Miguel Zenón. Ken Vandermark, who makes his festival debut with his group Vandermark 5, was selected as a MacArthur Fellow in 1999. For the past 20 years, he has been working to expand the possibilities of improvised and composed music in North America and Europe, both as a performer and an organizer. Since moving to Chicago from Boston in 1989, the Warwick, RI, native has played and recorded in a variety of contexts, and with many internationally renowned musicians. Past groups include the NRG Ensemble, the DKV Trio, AALY, FME, the Vandermark Quartet, Spaceways Inc., School Days, Cinghiale, Steam, and Caffeine. In 1996, he and writer John Corbett began organizing the Empty Bottle "Wednesday Night Jazz Series, " concerts that brought musicians from Chicago, all over North America, and Europe to audiences on a weekly basis for nearly a decade. From April 2006 to October 2008, he continued this work by co-directing the "Immediate Sound Series" with Mitch Cocanig at the Hideout; and since the autumn of 2005 he has been a member of Umbrella Music, a musician based group of organizers collaborating in Chicago. Vandermark spends more than half of each year on the road, working on a regular basis in North America, Europe, and Japan. Joining reedman Vandermark in Newport are Dave Rempis, saxophones; Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello/electronics; Kent Kessler, bass; and Tim Daisy, percussion.Miguel Zenón is not only a 2008 MacArthur Fellow, but he's also a 2008 Guggenheim Fellow. He was born San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he studied classical saxophone at the famed Escuela Libre de Musica. Although Zenón was exposed to jazz while in high school, it wasn't until he began his studies at the Berklee School of Music that his formal jazz training began. After graduating from Berklee, he received a scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music and in 2001, he received a Masters in Saxophone Performance. In 2004 Zenón was asked to become one of the founding members of the SF Jazz Collective, an octet whose past and present members include Joshua Redman, Joe Lovano and Brian Blade, who each have their own sets at Jazz Festival 55. DavidSanchez, Charlie Haden, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Bobby Hutcherson, Bob Moses and Mozamba, The Either Orchestra, Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, The Mingus Big Band, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, Ray Barretto, and Steve Coleman, among others. The Saxophonist and Composer has released four recordings as a Leader including his debut CD Looking Forward and Awake. In addition to touring extensively throughout the US and Europe and Latin America with his quartet, Zenón has made teaching a priority in his professional career; this fall he joins the Jazz Faculty at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The Miguel Zenón Quartet, presented by Marsalis Music, is Zenón on alto sax, Luis Perdomo on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass and Henry Cole on drums. George Wein's JAZZ FESTIVAL 55, produced by New Festival Productions, LLC, features: FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 ~ 8:00 pm International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Avenue Etta James and The Roots Band; Howard Alden/Anat Cohen Quartet SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 ~ 11:30 am - 7:00 pm Fort Adams State Park, Harrison Avenue Mos Def; Branford Marsalis Quartet; Joshua Redman Double Trio; Esperanza Spalding; Cedar Walton All-Stars with Lew Tabackin & Curtis Fuller; Hiromi's SonicBloom; Vandermark 5; Jane Monheit; Christian McBride; Vijay Iyer Trio; Marsalis Music Presents Miguel Zenón Quartet, North Carolina Central Big Band, Branford Marsalis-Joey Calderazzo Duo, Claudia Acuña SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 ~ 11:30 am - 7:00 pm Fort Adams State Park, Harrison Avenue Tony Bennett; Dave Brubeck Quartet; Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band; Michel Camilo; Joe Lovano UsFive; The Bad Plus with Wendy Lewis; James Carter Organ Trio; Conversations with Christian McBride; Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra; Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band; Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition; Rashied Ali-Charles Gayle-William Parker's "By Any Means"; Alfredo Rodriguez; The Rodriguez Brothers, Roy Guzman Quintet write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |