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gram PROMOTING AND NURTURING JAZZ IN APRIL 2020 WWW.JAZZINCHICAGO.ORG

CHRIS GREENE QUINTET: THE POPULAR, LONGSTANDING CHICAGO BAND ON PREPARING A TRIBUTE TO

JAZZCITY 2020 SOUL TO SOUL: A CELEBRATION OF EDDIE HARRIS ?! (EVENT CANCELED)

WHEN THE JAZZ INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO DECIDED to make Eddie Harris the recipient of this year's ongoing JazzCity tribute, one artist and one band were an obvious choice to participate. Who better to capture the slippery, soulful, stylistically restless sound of the late, great tenor saxophonist Chris Greene and his quintet?

As suggested by the title of the band's album, Boundary Issues, Greene has never had much use for staying in one place with Chris Greene Ensemble his music. "I don't know my place, I guess, which is why I'm always stepping outside of the so-called boundaries. With the music I like, I just can't help thinking, what would it be like if I did this, or this?"

We would have expected to hear Greene and company – keyboardist Damian Espinosa, bassist Marc Piane, trumpeter John Moore and drummer Steve Corley – play popular Harris staples including "Compared to What," "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Cold Duck Time" at Loyola Park on April 3rd. And if the spirit moved them, the band, which has been together since 2005, might have treated the crowd to one or all of those songs.

But having taken a deep dive into Harris' compositions – which in many ways are as notable as his tenor inventions, something Greene hoped to convey to the audience – the saxophonist is more interested in exposing lesser-heard tunes. And so, we may have heard such Harris works as "Theme in Search of a Movie," "Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova" and "."

Greene also planned on including in his sets "Do Like Eddie," a tribute to Harris by featured on the guitarist's album Hand Jive, which featured Harris.

An Evanston native who has spent time honing his craft with Von Freeman and Steve Coleman, Greene admits he didn't fully appreciate the genius of Harris until several years ago, when he became familiar with his full catalog. "He was a touchstone for me in doing so many different kinds of things," he said, "from playing with British rock musicians to playing electric saxophone to doing standup comedy."

"In a way, Eddie was a victim of his own success as an experimentalist. People knew he could play, but a lot of them didn't take him as seriously as artists who stayed in the same lane. He had such unusual ideas, from his use of intervals to the way he showed off the influence of his hero . He took what Coltrane did in superimposing many different chords over existing chords and made it funky. With his rhythmic approach, he made it possible for the average Joe to get into the music."n

JazzCity is a free series initiated in 1997 by the Jazz Institute of Chicago in collaboration with the Chicago Park District to bring people together from across the city to listen to Chicago’s top jazz musicians. JazzCity is sponsored by WDCB 90.9 FM and WHPK 88.5 FM Radio. JAZZ IN CHICAGO APRIL 2020 2 KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING!

A LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEATHER IRELAND ROBINSON

Greetings Jazz Institute Family,

We wanted to take a moment to send you a message of love, hope, health and unity at these uncertain times.

One thing that we do know – we are all using music to get us through, to unify us and to add meaning and uplifting fun to our days.

Music has always been here for us. Jazz music specifically has been a mainstay of resistance, and of healing, of hope and of joy, both on the stage and in the audiences. A calm in times of great need, a spark in times of darkness, and our spirited heartbeat in times of great celebration.

It is social and connects us across the distance.

Jazz has been a mainstay from its roots in African rhythms and culture, to its birth in the south, and its coming of age in Chicago and the Midwest though today. Along with its cousins and Soul and its sisters and brothers in the music of Resistance and Civil Rights, jazz has been a constant family member and the soundtrack of or lives. And we intend to keep that music alive and thriving for all of us.

Musicians and educators are at the forefront of this unity, and community-building that knows no space or building. They are our great leaders and honorable drum (and trumpet, and ...) majors, especially in the times. We will continue to honor them all and ensure that this beat goes on. For you and for them, and for generations to come.

We are grateful to you – our members, our audiences, and supporters – as always. And we cannot wait to sit next to you and fellowship again soon.

So keep listening, keep playing, keep singing, and keep grooving. Stay together, while apart. Let’s stay connected while distant and keep swinging!

All the Best,

Heather Ireland Robinson

JIC EVENTS CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC:

– APRIL 3: JAZZCITY AT LOYOLA PARK – APRIL 8: JAZZ LINKS JAM SESSION AT – APRIL 19: NOTEWORTHY JAZZ ENSEMBLE AT THE PROMONTORY – MAY 8: JAZZCITY AT TULEY PARK – MAY 15: CHICAGO STAGE AT THE LOGAN FEAT. ISAIAH COLLIER (POSTPONED) – JAZZ LINKS STUDENT COUNCIL ACTIVITIES

For more updates on event cancellations and online activities including performances and educational videos, please visit jazzinchicago.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

JAZZ IN CHICAGO APRIL 2020 3 WHAT IF THERE'S A JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH AND NOBODY COMES?

BY HOWARD MANDEL ©2020 [email protected]

Can we celebrate April as Jazz Appreciation Month with jazz live onstage in , clubs and all our public places shut down? Yes! We at the Jazz Institute of Chicago and, we believe, the entire Chicago jazz community as well, is committed to making every effort to “flatten the curve” of infections from the Covid-19 virus, thereby guarding against health care resources from being overwhelmed.

At the same time we’re determined to find ways to hear our music and make sure our musicians, venues and ancillary operations are able to survive financial uncertainty if not outright hardship. We’re into jazz, so we know how to improvise! April is the 19th annual Jazz Appreciation Month, so designated by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, culminating in the ninth , thanks to UNESCO and the (née ) Institute of Jazz. We’re going to find ways to make it swing, hard and loud and soft and sweet.

What the Jazz Institute is doing: Moving fast online, in light of April cancellations.

w Chris Greene, tenor saxophonist scheduled to perform at the Eddie Harris-dedicated season of Jazz City concerts but cancelled, is creating a high-quality original video in lieu of the live show we’ll miss. Release April 3rd on the JIC's Facebook page.

w The JIC’s Jam Session musicians -- Robert “Baabe” Irving III, Jarrard Harris and Marcus Evans -- are video’ing mini-master Carolyn Fitzhugh at the 2019. Photo by James Foster classes.

w For musicians, educators and anyone who’s a presenter, the JIC has set up a free promotional directory for virtual events or other online activity intended to be a source of revenue. This directory will be shared via the JIC website, eblasts, and social media outlets as a resource for online audiences to view, listen, enjoy and share.

w This JazzGram is going to our entire contact list -- 10,000 strong, mostly in Chicagoland -- in efforts to rally our entire community together, share information and resources.

We urge you to seek out jazz musicians’ initiatives and record sales sites (Bandcamp.com is best, musicians get the best return) and spend generously!

There’s more going on behind the scenes and by JIC-friendly organizations, such as the Jazz Journalists Association, which has posted articles with embedded videos reporting from around the world about JazzOnLockdown. Jazz on the Tube, a list-serve reaching 30,000 subscribers daily, has posted valuable information on how to start live-streaming. Jazz at Lincoln Center is listing pre-scheduled live streaming events. Locally, Experimental Sound Studios is putting up house-broadcast Quarantine Concerts (perhaps more “new music” than “jazz”, but a good model for would-be series organizers).

True, jazz is best live, when players and listeners commune, sharing an experience of time and one place. But those sounds made in the moment are able to convey feelings, even when captured in recordings, that reach us invisibly and are able to move us, even from long ago and far away. Jazz has survived the Spanish Flu epidemic, the Great Depression, a century of war as well as accelerated change. It’s practical, flexible and it endures, because we people love it. We’ll be together again -- the Jazz Institute is sure of that -- and until then we can and must make music, listen to it, learn, talk, read about it and dance to it, even if alone, confident we’re helping that moment more quickly arrive.n

JAZZ IN CHICAGO APRIL 2020 4 FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE JAZZ INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO ON-LINE Given that many of our beloved clubs and venues have been unfortunately shuttered during this time, we are replacing our monthly listing with some treats from our archives. We are looking forward to getting back to live music and supporting our musicians and club-owner partners as soon as safely possible. Including 210 Restaurant & Live Music Lounge, Andy’s Jazz Club, Benny’s Chop House, Buddy Guy’s Legends Chicago, Cafe Mustache, California Clipper, City Winery, Constellation, Elastic ARTS, Experimental Sound Studio, Fitzgerald’s, Fitz’s Spare Keys, Fulton Street Collective/ Jazz Record Art Collective, Good Life Café, Green Mill, Hideout, Honky Tonk Bbq, Hungry Brain, Hyde Park Jazz Society, Illiana Club of Traditional Jazz, Jazz Community Big Band, Jazzy Mondays at the Center, a JCI/ICD Production, Jazz Showcase, Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap, The Lighthouse, M Lounge, Multi Kulti, Music Institute of Chicago, Myopic Books, Norman’s Bistro, Pete Miller’s, Le Piano, Piano Forte, Phyllis’ Musical Inn, Pops for Champagne, The Promontory, The Rhythm Room, Sabor a Café, Serbian Village, Skylark, Slate Arts, Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar, Skylark, Water hole, Whistler, Winter’s Jazz Club and Yassa African Restaurant.

Our former Executive Director Lauren Deutsch kindly put together a listing of some on-line gems from years past. She adds:

"We thought you might enjoy remembering some of the activities you have been supporting in our efforts to make sure Chicago's jazz community continues to flourish. Were you there when Ari Brown paid tribute to Ann E. Ward in an hour-long impassioned improvisation at the Chicago Jazz Festival: Pianoforte Sessions in 2015? Or maybe you enjoyed the traditional jazz of pianist Paul Asaro and clarinetist Kim Cusack performed at the Pianoforte sessions that same year. Or John Wright's emotional comeback performance in 2014? Were you at Sherman Park when JazzCity presented Good Vibes with Jim Cooper, Kathy Kelly and the 16 year old Joel Ross (who recently signed with Blue Note to produce his first album)? Or Maggie Brown's tribute to introducing the 23 year-old trumpeter Marquis Hill? We hope you enjoy these treasures from our vaults, and that they help you remember that you are part of an incredibly diverse and creative community that we will continue to find ways to help thrive."

Type or click on the links below to watch the videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkik0Rv03xc JazzCity 2010 Maggie Sings Abbey: Tribute to Abbey Lincoln Marquis Hill, Rajiv Orozco, Justin Thomas, Curtis Robinson, Steve Cobb, Joshua Ramos, Shawn Wallace https://youtu.be/ntnymTdwkAs JazzCity 2010 Tammy McCann https://youtu.be/D3kSgYO55qQ JazzCity Saxophone Summit 2011 Pat Mallinger, Juli Wood, Rajiv Halim, Kevin Nabors and James Perkins. with Kirk Brown on piano, Clif Wallace on drums and Junius Paul on bass https://youtu.be/GwPN4r4UbHQ Hear in Now: Tomeka Reid, Mazz Swift, Silvia Bolognesi at Poland 2011 https://youtu.be/sj2cLs_iDdI Ballad for Vonski by Mike Allemana Made in Chicago Poland 2011 Ari Brown on tenor, Greg Ward and Rajiv Halim on altos, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Michael Raynor, drums, Matt Ferguson on bass and Tomeka Reid on cello. https://youtu.be/Ihx6w-g06UM Chicago Jazz Festival 2011 Mike Reed’s Myth Science Assembly With Reed and Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Tomeka Reid on cello, Josh Abrams on bass, Greg Ward and Ingrid Laubrock on , Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet, Mary Halverson on guitar and Nick Butcher on electronics. https://youtu.be/3spQJIfISDA Chicago Jazz Festival 2011 A Little Gershwin-Ganz Hall Orbert Davis Brandon McCune on piano, Stewart Miller on bass and Ernie Adams on drums (LD) https://youtu.be/XKYgEw9B16U Chicago Jazz Festival 2011 Randy Weston with Chicago Jazz Ensemble tribute to Melba Liston (LD) https://youtu.be/4Uwl98xjE98 JazzCity 2011 Milton Suggs with Marquis Hill on trumpet, Christopher McBride on saxophone, Justin Thomas on vibes, Joshua Ramos on bass, Makaya McCraven on drums and Stuart Mindeman on piano https://youtu.be/xfmaT0SzLnQ Maurice Brown JIC Gala 2012-Misty with Ken Chaney, Katie Ernst https://youtu.be/I6zk9kTh4Ls Dianne Reeves Chicago Jazz Festival 2012 https://youtu.be/XRU-HKpVADo drumming and tap dancing Chicago Jazz Festival 2012 https://youtu.be/uvhfTauSmUc Erwin Helfer solo Made in Chicago 2012_LD https://youtu.be/zIdFGjBTMrY Blowin in From Chicago Made in Chicago Poland 2012 Ari Brown, Edward Wilkerson, Harrison Bankhead, Ken Chaney (LD) https://youtu.be/LCMJfmTiLfI JazzCity 2012 Good Vibes with Joel Ross (16 years old) , Kathy Kelly, Jim Cooper https://youtu.be/xpc7A4AeDCs Miyumi Ensemble Meets Great Black Music Ensemble_JazzCity 2013 https://youtu.be/8EoNsXQIohc Chicago Jazz Festival Pianoforte sessions John Wright and Miguel de la Cerna 2014 https://youtu.be/K1fHQSwwWCk Chicago Jazz Festival Pianoforte sessions: Ari Brown 2015 https://youtu.be/l-buvrNX5WE Chicago Jazz Festival Pianoforte sessions: Rob Clearfield 2015 https://youtu.be/4hQHIIELWvY Chicago Jazz Festival Pianoforte sessions: Willie and Bethany Pickens 2015 https://youtu.be/-YOgIOijhp8 Chicago Jazz Festival Pianoforte sessions Paul Asaro and Kim Cusack 2015

JAZZ IN CHICAGO APRIL 2020 5 IN MEMORIAM REMEMBERING THE JAZZ MUSICIANS WHO WE'VE LOST TO THE CORONAVIRUS The Jazz Institute of Chicago regrets the passing of the jazz musicians who have lost their battle to COVID-19 in the past weeks. Today we celebrate their legacies and significant contributions to the music that brings us so much joy and motivation as we walk through these difficult times together.

Click on each photo to read their obituaries.

MANU DIBANGO MIKE LONGO (December 12, 1933 - March 24, 2020) (March 19, 1939 - March 22, 2020)

ELLIS MARSALIS MARCELO PERALTA (November 14, 1934 - April 1, 2020) (March 5, 1961 - March 10, 2020)

BUCKY PIZZARELLI WALLACE RONEY (January 9, 1926 - April 1, 2020) (May 25, 1960 - March 31, 2020)

JAZZ IN CHICAGO APRIL 2020 6 EDUCATION CORNER ANDREW MELLON FOUNDATION GRANT

The Jazz Institute of Chicago announced today that it has received a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation. The grant, a first of this magnitude for the 50-year-old organization, will support two programs: Jazz Links Fellowships, to be awarded to three of the city’s “emerging artists” ages 18 to 35, offering opportunities to learn on-the-job with JIC mentors’ guidance; and New Work, Fresh Voices, empowering the creation and performances of newly-commissioned works from two established Chicago-area musicians. Both programs include concerts free to the public, with artists conducting open rehearsals and pop-up performances across the city in communities underserved by the arts as well as popular venues.

The Mellon award directly finances both these two new Jazz Institute initiatives:

w Jazz Links Fellowship program (JLF), with first applications due in early May, will each year for three years select three “newly emerging artists” (ages 18 - 35). The Fellows will receive advanced instruction, career development workshops, mentorship and teaching opportunities. The fellowship also includes performance and “learning by doing” real-world experience on the bandstand in Chicago music venues, and community engagement - playing for the people in Chicago’s gardens, parks, schools and iconic neighborhood mural sites. w New Works Fresh Voices, will each year for three years commission two professionally professional established Chicago- area jazz artists who “seek to further develop their unique voices” to each create a fully-produced composition -- which may be multi-disciplinary -- for performances in high-visibility venues in the city including the annual Chicago Jazz Festival.

The Mellon-supported Jazz Links Fellowship Program extends the Jazz Institute’s existing education program, begun in the 1980s from the impetus of the Institute’s mission since its founding in 1969 to nurture and preserve Chicago jazz in all its forms.

Processes for application to the Jazz Links Fellowship Program and New Works Fresh Voices, to include application submission, interviews and auditions, will commence in April 2020, with details to be available at jazzinchicago.org. The Jazz Institute’s goal is that more than half those chosen for both programs to be women and people of color.

“We are thrilled and honored to have received this prestigious grant from The Andrew Mellon Foundation,“ says Jazz Institute of Chicago Executive Director Heather Ireland Robinson. “The Foundation’s commitment to social justice, cultural accessibility and promoting creativity align with our vision for the next 50 years of the JIC. It is great to have resources invested in our communities that will make it possible for the joy, history and cultural vibrancy of jazz to spread through the current and next generations of musicians.”

Director of Education and Artistic Development Diane Chandler-Marshall adds, "Both the Jazz Links Fellowship Program and New Works Fresh Voices projects are natural progressions of the JIC's stalwart education activities. Our Jazz Links programs have been important in assisting our next generation in exploring, learning and understanding this vital artform. The opportunity enabled by the Mellon funding New Works Fresh Voices allows the Jazz Institute to further assist the development of those who have made a professional commitment to the field. We seek to continue our endeavors in fostering an impact in education and the artists community." continued on page 7

JAZZGRAM

A monthly newsletter published by the Jazz Institute of Chicago for its members. The Jazzgram represents the views of the authors, and unless so designated, does not reflect official policy of the Jazz Institute. We welcome news and articles with differing opinions.

Managing Editor: Adriana Prieto Design: Letterform | Production: Adriana Prieto Correspondents: Rahsaan Clark Morris, Corey Hall, Howard Mandel Board of Directors: President: David Helverson Vice Presidents: Timuel Black, Warren Chapman, Brian Myerholtz, William Norris, Roxana Espoz Secretary: Howard Mandel Treasurer: Darryl Wilson Emeritus Director: Joseph B. Glossberg Executive Director: Heather Ireland Robinson Board Members: David Bloomberg, Miguel de la Cerna, Dan Epstein, Beth Gallagher, Matthew Goldfine, Rajiv Halim, Jarrard Harris, Bill King, Jason Koransky, Terry Martin, Ted Oppenheimer, Bethany Pickens, Keyonn Pope, Mike Reed, Kent Richmond, Judith E. Stein, Conrad Terry, Neil Tesser

Founded in 1969, the Jazz Institute of Chicago, a not-for-profit corporation, promotes and nurtures jazz in Chicago by providing jazz education, developing and supporting musicians, building Chicago audiences and fostering a thriving jazz scene. 410 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 500, Chicago IL 60605 | 312-427-1676 • Fax: 312-427-1684 • JazzInChicago.org The Jazz Institute of Chicago is supported in part by The Alphawood Foundation | The Francis Beidler Foundation | The Chicago Community Trust | A CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events | Crown Family Philanthropies | The Philip Darling Foundation | The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation | The Illinois Arts Council Agency | Lloyd A. Fry Foundation | The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince | The National Endowment for the Arts | The Oppenheimer Family Foundation | The Polk Bros. Foundation | The Benjamin Rosenthal Foundation | Wells Fargo Foundation

APRIL 2020 7

Neighborhoods, specific locations and dates of activities of the New Works Fresh Voices initiative, envisioned to start this summer, and the Jazz Links Fellowships, currently planned to comment in fall and winter 2020, are to be announced. Each program concludes with the JIC’s Fellows and Voices performing mini-concerts to be shared across the Institute’s multiple on-line, social media platforms. The Jazz Institute is committed to adapting the Mellon-financed programs with all-online activities should current events and concerns continue to necessitate controls on social gatherings and interactions. n

JAZZ LINKS ALUMNI - APPLY TO PERFORM AT THE CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL!

Applications are open for this year’s NextGenJazz Series! Selected applicants will have the opportunity to lead their own ensemble on the Rooftop Stage at the Chicago Jazz Festival 2020. Alumni interested in submitting materials to be considered should reach out to Michael Nearpass ([email protected]) or John Foster ([email protected]). Submissions will be accepted through April 6th.

STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ EXCHANGE UPDATE MESSAGE FROM DIANE CHANDLER-MARSHALL, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

With Coltrane's Favorite Things playing in the background, I am working from home due to our recent order to "shelter." The healing energies of the sounds in my midst provide me with optimism. I am cognizant of and understand jazz's positive impact on my being. This essence is what draws me to be a fan of jazz. While it is unknown how long we will need to practice our social distancing mandate, I look forward to our coming together and being able to reconnect in the name of jazz, in the near future. Our Straight Ahead Jazz Exchange (SAJX) in July is designed to provide an opportunity for us to remember the valuable role this music plays in our lives, whether it's Sean Jones' reminding us of its Spiritual significance; or Dana Hall's accounting of its ability to rise up in Protest; the joy that Jose Diaz helps us find in just jamming to the beat; or Tia Fuller's acknowledgement of the women in jazz whose triumphants have inspired many - jazz is an energy that embodies a meaningful outlet that is greatly needed in our lives, now! As you shelter with your loved ones, take special care of one another and do keep the faith. As we work on possibilities for our intended Exchange experience - we will keep you updated!

Yours in Jazz,

Diane Chandler-Marshall

VISIT JAZZINCHICAGO.ORG TO SEE THE SAJX FULL SCHEDULE AND TO REGISTER.

Special Guest Artists: Tia Fuller, José Antonio Díaz, Sean Jones and Dana Hall.

Clinicians and presenters include Sharel Cassity, Geof Bradfield, Mike Reed, Victor Garcia, Robert Irving III, Jarrard Harris, Pharez Whitted, Bobbi Wilsyn, Donovan Mixon and more!

35 CPDU’s are available for Illinois School teachers. Recommended for ages 19+.

Members of the Jazz Institute of Chicago are eligible to receive a special discount on the full-week registration. Discount codes for members are sent via email. Early bird rates are available now, so don't miss your chance to register at the lowest price!

STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ EXCHANGE JULY 20 - 24, 2020 COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO 1014 S. MICHIGAN AVE. DATED MATERIAL

410 S. MICHIGAN AVE. SUITE 500 CHICAGO, IL 60605 WWW.JAZZINCHICAGO.ORG