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***OUTASITE MUSICAL COLLABORATION BAND SITES
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2003 JUBA COLLECTIVE
*(as of 01/09/2003)
http://www.premonitionandmusic.com/html/juba/juba.html
CONDUCTOR
KAHIL
EL’ZABAR (drums, percussion as we have yet to experience
SAXYs, flutes, clarinets, etc
ARI BROWN
TRUMPS
SIMEON VILTZ
GUITAR
VOCALS,
POETRY, ART, MISCELLANEOUS SOUNDS and VISUALS
PRIMERIDIAN Simeon Viltz
PRIMERIDIAN Jamie Roundtree
Tamara Madison Shaw
Susana Sandoval
Dzine
RHYTHM
SECTION
Robert Irving III - keys
Kahil El’zabar – drums
Frank Orrall – electronics, etc
The JUBA
collective Story, In the Producer's Words
JUBA is first a feeling. It is an aspiration
to be free. In JUBA we express our hearts and our minds through dance,
music, art, fashion, spoken word, and song. The philosophy of JUBA
reaches beyond the boundaries of genres, gender, generations, and/or race. JUBA
strives to make the connection as well as the communication across various
styles of art and life. We believe that the flow is within the groove and the
spaces in between. It is a twenty-first century vision informed by that which
has come before it. This energy is called Ancient to the future, a power
stronger than itself. In the way JUBA came to me, it came to others
before me. It is a spirit force that inspires a sense of belonging. JUBA
has a special kind of rooted-ness that allows one to explore the infinite
rhythms in life.
The traditional West African dance
of JUBA was brought to the Americas in slavery times. It was employed by
various tribal groups to escape the horrors of slavery momentarily through
creative expression. Folk would dance JUBA and sing and play the night
away. They were striving to release their spirits beyond the ignorance and
brutality of slavery into a state of exaltation. JUBA is for feeling
good and spreading the love. When JUBA came to me, I then realized that
I had to do the same. We have created an acronym from the letters in the
spelling of JUBA: Joined Universal Breath Ascending.
We believe that Joined
Universal Breath Ascending represents an openness, and acceptance to
infinite possibilities of communication through the arts. The vehicle through
which we have been blessed to perform this ritual is the JUBA
Collective. It is an enormously diverse group of talented artists in various
fields. While hanging out on a variety of scenes, I eventually hooked up with
all the members of JUBA at either jazz clubs, dance clubs, poetry
readings and slams, art galleries as well as in dramatic theaters, and dance
recitals. I have always loved hanging out with artists and people in general.
So I thought why not put together an ensemble that expresses all of that love.
For two years we created JUBA events at a variety of venues around
Chicago. This became a new artistic statement and social atmosphere. It was the
beginning of JUBA.
The artists in the collective are,
first and foremost, incredible human beings. On top of that, they are all
extraordinary artists with enormous skills and passion. I asked all of them to
help me create the JUBA Collective because I respect the vision each
has. Ari Brown, Bobby Irving, and Fareed Haque are all important jazz musicians
and they along with myself have played with some of the greatest musicians who
have ever lived. I'm talking about giants like Miles Davis, Elvin Jones,
Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Joe Zawinal, Archie Shepp, Lester Bowie, Dizzy
Gillespie, Gene Ammons, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and so on, you dig?
Frank Orrall has been highly successful in mixing various popular music styles
as leader of Poi Dog Pondering and 8FATFAT8. The primeridian, tree and simeon,
are two of the most innovative mcs on the planet. They are a force to be
reckoned with on the international underground hiphop scene. Both Tamara Love
and Susana Sandoval write and recite from their very souls. These divas must be
dealt with; they cannot be refused. Lastly, our visual artist DZINE is an
incredible performer in his medium. His use of color and design is indeed
something to behold.
THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF THE PROJECT
EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF DANCE AND GROOVE IN CREATIVE MUSIC. Dance music can incorporate many styles
and approaches to creative expression and improvisation. The elders tell me
that bebop in the beginning was as much a dance music as it was a so-called
listening music. The people were open to all the innovative complexity the
music that Diz, Bird, Monk, & more created. It was appreciated as much for
the thought of the music as it was for the groove. Creativity is about being
open to the possibility. We in JUBA have been fortuitously informed by
our past and are looking forward to the endless possibilities in our future.
That is why we say Ancient to the future, a power stronger than itself. --
Kahil El' Zabar, March 2002
Artist Biographies
Kahil El' Zabar,
Chicago, IL
El' Zabar believes that art comes
from living and that only through living can your art be meaningful. Throughout
a 30-year career in the arts he has earned critical acclaim in an impressive
variety of artistic disciplines including musician, bandleader,
composer/arranger for the stage and major motion pictures, author, educator and
music festival curator.
He has been playing music since
childhood, fortunate from the beginning to be surrounded by stellar musicians.
His father Cliff Blackburn (known as Big Cliff) and his uncle Leroi
"Candy" Finch were both excellent drummers. They shared their
knowledge and feeling for swinging with Kahil. In his teens, he was playing
with masters like Gene Ammons, Eddie Harris, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sonny Stitt,
and Malachi Favors and studied African dance and drumming with his accomplished
cousin Darlene Blackburn's dance troupe. He became a member of the first
Afro-American African music society, The Sundrummer Institute, as well as a
member of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). At
the age of 19, he ventured to Ghana West Africa on an exchange program from
Lake Forest College for a year that expanded his global imagery and his vision
for an eclectic cultural mix. From then until now he has been traveling
throughout the world performing and simultaneously studying various cultures.
El' Zabar has had the honor and
privilege of performing with some of the greatest musicians and composers in
the world in a variety of musical styles including jazz, R&B, gospel and
rock. In addition to those mentioned above, he has worked with Dizzy Gillespie,
Lester Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Paul Simon, Cannonball Adderly,
David Murray, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Nona Hendrix, Jesse Dixon, Rev.
Mitlon Bronson Choir, Olatunji, Chief Bey, Nina Simone, and Kurt Elling.
As a composer/arranger, he scored
the arrangements for Disney's acclaimed Broadway version of "The Lion
King," and has scored such films such as "Mo' Money" (Columbia),
"How You Like Me Now" (Universal), "Love Jones" (NewLine
Cinema), and "The Last Set" (Independent). He leads historically
significant bands such as the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and the Ritual Trio. As
an educator he was an associate professor of inter-disciplinary arts at both
the University of Nebraska/Lincoln and the University of Illinois/Chicago.
El' Zabar has written two books,
Mistaken Brilliance (Third World Press) and Portraits of the Other Music
(Press) and has more than 30 recordings under his own name as well as being on
hundreds by other music greats.
He is the founder of the
"Underground Jazzfest," the "Blacklight Film Fest," creator
and founder of the Steppenwolf Theater's "Traffic" series, former
member of Pres. Clinton's "Task Force on Arts Presenting and
Education" and is the former chairman of the AACM. He has won first place
twice in the last decade on Downbeat Magazine's International Critics' Poll for
percussion and has been considered one of the best in his field for many years.
JUBA Collective is Kahil's latest
collaborative project. He is very excited about the music and the new
opportunities it presents. The accumulative experience of El' Zabar and the
other prestigious members of JUBA set the dawn for new ideas and a fresh horizon.
Frank Orrall, Chicago, IL
Producer, electronic and acoustic
musician. Founding member and principal writer for the groups "8 fat fat
8" (electronic & live house music), "poi dog pondering"
(pop) and "palm fabric orchestra" (open music). As a member of
"JUBA collective," Opah provides creative samples, synth textures and
tough electronic drum beats - all via a live set up of samplers (mpc3000's),
mixers and various synthesizers.
Fareed Haque, Chicago, IL
Guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque
enjoys a career that spans the spectrum of musical styles. Moving easily
between jazz and classical guitar, Fareed's versatility has created a demand
for him with prominent jazz and classical artists including Paquito D'Rivera,
Cassandra Wilson, Kurt Elling, Lester Bowie, Arturo Sandoval, Nigel Kennedy,
Edgar Meyer, Bob James, Dave Holland, Sting, Javon Jackson, Joe Henderson, Joe
Zawinul, Kahil el Zabar, Defunckt, and Ramsey Lewis.
Haque has been featured on WTTW's
ArtBeat, Ben Sidran's New Visions, Michelob Presents Sunday Night with David
Sanborn on NBC, his own Lonesome Pines Special for PBS, and on BET cable jazz
channel. Fareed has twice been selected Talent Deserving Wider Recognition in
Downbeat magazine.
Born in 1963 to Pakistani father
and Chilean mother, extensive travels, especially long stays in Spain, France,
Iran, Pakistan and Chile, exposed Haque to different musics from a very early
age. This natural eclecticism has become the hallmark of Fareed's music. The
1981 Recipient of North Texas State University's Jazz Guitar Scholarship, Haque
spent a year studying with renowned jazz guitarist and pedagogue Jack Peterson.
Fareed's growing interest in the classical guitar led him to transfer to
Northwestern University, where he completed his studies in classical guitar
under David Buch, John Holmquist and Anne Waller.
As a classical guitarist, Fareed
has performed as soloist and accompanist with Nigel Kennedy, Robert Conant,
Edgar Meyer, Stephen Stubbs, Frank Bungarten, members of the Vermeer Quartet
and many symphony orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. He is an active
transcriber of baroque as well as South American music and has had numerous
modern works dedicated to him.
Ari Brown, Chicago, IL
Ari Brown is a composer, arranger
and educator whose principle instrument is the saxophone. He performs at Urban
Gateways and Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. He has performed with
many music greats including: Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, The Ritual
Trio, Lou Rawls, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Elvin Jones, Andrew White, Della
Reese, Billy Eckstein. Mr. Brown has also performed with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra in the Chicago premier of the Anthony Davis opera, "Malcom
X". He has also performed a clarinet solo on the score in Universal
Studio's motion picture, "The Babe." He has toured all over the world
including Japan, Europe, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore. He received his BA of
Music Education from Vandercook College of Music, and has made numerous
recordings.
Robert Irving III, Chicago, IL
Robert Irving, III, a.k.a.
"Baabe" (pronounced like Bobby), is best known for his five year
tenure as Musical Director, Producer, and Keyboardist for the legendary
trumpeter Miles Davis. Baabe, as he is known by his peers, has produced three
Grammy Award nominated albums: two for Miles, "Decoy" and
"You're Under Arrest" and one entitled "Real Life Story",
the Polygram debut for drummer, Terri Lyne Carrington. Baabe has produced
recordings with Sting, Carlos Santana, Dianne Reeves, Branford Marsalis, Wayne
Shorter, Bill Evans, Gerald Albright, Grover Washington, Patrice Rushen, John
Scofield, David Murray and numerous other world-class musicians. Baabe also
produced the Susan Osborn, Nippon Music Award winning CD, "Wabi"
released in Japan on NEC Avenue.
As a composer, keyboardist, and
arranger, Irving contributed to three Ramsey Lewis albums, "Three Piece
Suite," "Live at the Savoy," and "Chance Encounters"
and has also contributed to numerous other projects and live performances with
artists such as: David Murray, Oliver Lake, Billy Joel, Oscar Brown Jr.,
Michael Brecker, Marcus Miller, Wallace Roney, Buster Williams, Phil Upchurch,
Darryl Jones, Victor Bailey, Pharaoh Sanders, Fred White (Earth Wind &
Fire) Phil Perry, Marilyn Mazure, harpist, Markus Klinko, Ray Parker Jr. and
was the musical director for Sister Sledge. Baabe is featured on the recent CD
release, "Dark Star" with the David Murray Octafunk group on Profile
Records which rose to #1 on the billboard jazz charts). Baabe's work can be
heard on 22 CDs.
Irving has composed and produced
four film/television scores. They are "Street Smart" for Cannon
Films, directed by Jerry Shatsberg, featuring Christopher Reeve and Morgan
Freeman, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Prisoners," starring Yaphett
Koto for MCA/Universal Studios, directed by Drew Merish, and a short subject
film entitled, "David and Michael at the Beach" by director, Martin
Hudson. Baabe's most recent score is for a feature length film entitled
"Scenes For The Soul," a trilogy directed by George Tilman (Soul
Food) for Menagerie Films.
David Murray and Baabe conducted
extensive music workshops in Paris, France, Dakar Senegal and Martinique, West
Indies. A recording project in Dakar yielded the CD "Fo Duek Review",
released last spring on Justin Records/Enja Records with three compositions by
Irving.
Baabe currently tours with Warner
Bros. recording artist, trumpeter, Wallace Roney in support of the latter's new
CD "Village" on which Irving is a guest musician/arranger on five
tracks along with Chick Corea, Gerri Allen, Lenny White and Pharaoh Sanders. In
Chicago he leads his own groups "School of Cool" and is founder and
director of the sixteen piece, "African Arts Ensemble".
As a visual artist Baabe has been
painting since April 1997 and has exhibited at the Hot House Club/Exhibition
Center in downtown Chicago, The African Festival of the Arts and exhibits,
on-going, at his beach side "Spirit Art" Studio and at the Corridor
Gallery in New York. His group "Visual Music" debuted in September
1998 as a group of performing visual artists.
The primeridian featuring tree and
simeon, Chicago, IL
the primeridian, a hip hop based,
power duo consisting of Jaime Roundtree (tree tha scarecrow) and Simeon Viltz
(See-Me-On) hail from the eclectic, historical music scene of Chicago. With
musical influences from blues and R&B, to house and acid jazz, the
primeridian fuses these influences into a soulful, jazzy, acid-funk sound
independent of musical genres and classifications pushing hip hop to new levels
of exposure, experimentation and expression. With thought-provoking lyrics, a
touch of humor, skilled production/musicianship and years of explosive live
performances, the primeridian takes a stage by storm with energy, emotion, and
experience moving crowds of diverse audiences (young and old), various musical
preferences and tastes. "I'll meet you in Greenwich" is a compilation
of their original works from 1995 to the present. Writing, producing and
performing, both artists bring a unique background and culture to the
primeridian's music. tree is a native of Chicago's west-side, working class
community submerged in the socioeconomic trials of urban life. Beyond the
simplicity of simple rhyme schemes in everyday hip hop, tree has a passion for
language continually researching ways to communicate his rhymes in a manner
that is innovative and genuine. An old soul griot*, he intricately weaves words
into poetic lyrics skillfully revealing the tales of the city and the struggles
of Generation X. "My goal is to relay a perspective of life through
musical poetry that will appeal to all open minds. Using words and sounds I
want to take the audience to an experience that is new and honest," he
affirms. tree thus maintains Chicago's down home country feel but keeps the "gritty
edge." On the other end of the spectrum, See-Me-On, a native of Chicago's
southeast Hyde Park area, represents "the soul" of the primeridian.
Born to a family of gospel and jazz artists, See-Me-On was "raised in
music." His work centers on the search for self and growth of character
amidst the mayhem of urban madness. With metaphysical imagery and cultural
history, See-Me-On takes the audience on a soul filled "mental ride."
"I encourage the audience to read between the lines and not just look at
the face value of things. I want to lead them to a space of original thought...
with spirituality that is collective in essence but objectively
different," states See-Me-On.
Like the prime meridian on the
earth, connecting east to west at 0 degrees where the sun shines brightest,
See-Me-On and tree connect the hard energy of east coast realities to the
frolicking fantasies of the west coast to create a "new flow" as the
hip hop industry matures into its 30's. Unlike the quintessential thug or the
submerged underground artist, the primeridian's "I'll meet you in
Greenwich" represents the growth of hip-hop. From "b-boys on the
street" to "grown men with responsibility", they address harsh,
contemporary themes with positive inspiration for the youth raw with refined
experience.
Disciplined, educated artists who
work extensively with youth, both tree and See-me-On have studied and performed
with numerous artists of various genres. They have opened for a number of
performers including the legendary Run-DMC, Redman, Common Sense, and many
others. They have also performed and worked with internationally renowned
recording artists and musicians from France. Recently returning from a
residency tour in Europe, the primeridian has also written, produced and
performed for JUBA Collective (executively produced by Kahil El'Zabar).
Tamara Madison-Shaw, Chicago,
IL/Atlanta, GA
Tamara Madison-Shaw is a poet,
writer, performer and "melodic word vocalist" who began her professional
career in Chicago. Her works have appeared in The Lucid Stone, The African
American Literature Forum, Catalyst Magazine, Portland Review, KOLA, Seattle
Poets and Photographers and Sisterfire (HarperCollins), an anthology of
contemporary African American women writers. Her first collection of poetry,
Sistuh's Sermon on the Mount, was published by Open Hand Publishing, 1993.
Madison-Shaw has received several
awards for her writing and performance work including a Regional Initiative
Grant funded by the NEA, Rockefeller and Warhol Foundations. Committed to the
development of art and expression, she works frequently as an
artist-in-residence with various schools, community organizations and
correctional facilities. She is currently roster artist for the following
agencies: City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs Arts in Education Program;
Fulton County Arts Council School Arts Program; Seattle Arts and Lectures
Writers in the Schools Program; and Powerful Schools.
Madison-Shaw is currently completing
a new solo volume of written work with companion CD.
Susana Sandoval, Chicago, IL
Susana Sandoval is a spoken word
artist, poet, writer, and arts educator. Her poetry can be heard on Africa N'Da
Blues (Delmark Records) with Kahil El' Zabar's Ritual Trio and special guest
Pharoah Sanders as well as the self-titled JUBA Collective (Premonition
Records/Blue Note.) Her book Con Fuego En Los Labios (Sana). Her work is
forthcoming in Cantos del Sexto Sol (Wings Press), the first of the triology of
anthologies. She is currently working on DVD project of her work that will
showcase her collaborations with spoken word and visual arts.
As an arts educator, she is a
consultant to the Board of Education in Chicago regarding initiatives in
language learning/reading strategies and development. She is also literary arts
consultant to the annual Edward James Olmos Book Fair and Family Festival
nationally. She has worked with various arts institutions such as the Chicago's
Children's Museum and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Hyde Park Arts
Center, and the Guild Complex, Chicago's award winning literary arts center as
an artist-in-residence.
Dzine, Chicago, IL
Born and raised in Chicago, Dzine
began his art career painting on the street at the young age of sixteen. First
inspired by the New York graffiti movement he discovered his passion for art
and his desire to be an artist. His creations quickly distinguished themselves
from other street art, taking on a level of complexity that revealed the
technique and vision of a burgeoning artist. His work became favorites of
Chicago's early hip hop scene in the late eighties and early nineties which he
and others were helping to shape. His work during this period would eventually
help establish him as one of few Chicago painters to travel and exhibit
internationally.
In his early twenties, his murals
and installation work appeared on the streets, galleries and cultural
institutions in the United States, Europe, Japan and Africa. The wall format
indirectly equipped Dzine with an understanding of textural surfaces,
materials, image layering and fast instinctive techniques - tools that would
later become valuable in the studio setting. He began educating himself about
the work of masters and contemporary artists alike but found himself
unmistakingly drawn to the work of the abstract expressionists and minimalists.
Recontextualizing the tools of his street work (spray paint, marker, etc.), his
early work contained the vernacular of the street, but has moved further and
further away from form based imagery, into the world of unrecognizable
abstractions.
Through his father's love of Salsa
music and introduction to early House music by his brother, Dzine began to fuse
the energy of his paintings with a wide range of music from Hector Lavoe, DJ
Premier to Steven Reich. His work has become increasingly obsessive, dealing
with themes of sound, color, lines, poetry, and identity. A good example of
this body of work was the release of "Bossa Tres... Jazz, when Japan meets
Europe" last year from internationally renowned French record label Yellow
Productions. It is a collection of electronic music and painting that contains
a collaboration of djs, producers and musicians from Japan, London, Germany,
Brazil, the U.S and France. The double album featured original paintings
created for each track by interpreting its sound and music. The paintings were
then reproduced into a full color catalog that accompanied both the CD and
vinyl of music as well as an interactive CD-rom where you can experience each
painting with the corresponding track from the album. The musicians and
paintings were toured in Europe and Asia and to critical acclaim.
Recently his select collaborative
performance paintings have consisted of live painting and installations with
JUBA Collective (Kahil El Zabar, Ari Brown, Frank Orrall), Djs - Chari Chari
(Japan), Dixon (Berlin) and Dj Cam (Paris). He is currently working on solo
exhibitions and installations scheduled for Galerie Valerie Cueto (Paris, April
2002), Monique Meloche Gallery (Chicago, October 2002), Museum of Contemporary
Art (Chicago, September 2002) and on tour with the JUBA collective in Munich,
Vienna and Frankfurt throughout the year of 2002.
JUBA
COLLECTIVE
Saturday, September 7 – Sunday, September 29
All events free
except for September 21 and 28 concerts, $12
JUBA Collective:
Kahil El ‘Zabar – JUBA
founder/percussionist/composer
Dzine – JUBA
co-founder/painter/sculptor
Ari Brown – reeds
great
Robert “Baabe” Irving – keyboard
legend/producer
Fareed Haque – guitar
virtuoso
Frank Orrall –
DJ/producer (Poi Dog Pondering, 8 fat
fat 8)
Primeridian – jazzcore
hip-hop duo featuring Tree and Simeon
Tamara Madison-Shaw and Susan
Sandoval – poets/vocalists
“JUBA is first a feeling…an inspiration to be free…to make
the connection across various styles of art and life. We believe that the flow is within the groove and the spaces in
between.” – Kahil El ‘Zabar, leader of JUBA Collective
Some of Chicago’s finest artists unite for this
unprecedented exploration of the dance and groove in creative music. JUBA Collective’s pulse is a
cross-pollination of jazz, house, hip-hop, R&B, funk, and Latin sounds combined
with forceful spoken word and visual arts. The members are multi-generational
and creative in a wide range of media, resulting in distinctive music steeped
in uncommon synergy. This innovative
approach is captured on JUBA’s debut recording released on Premonition Records
in May 2002, Chicago Jazz Meets Chicago House: A Portrait In Nu Jazz.
Making their Chicago performance debut at the MCA, the JUBA
Collective also has the distinction of being the first group of MCA artists-in-residency
who are representative of this many different mediums, generations, and
backgrounds. In celebration of their
truly collaborative approach, the MCA presents a month-long schedule of public
programs with JUBA members including a wall project, an open rehearsal, a
student workshop, lectures, concerts, and open jam sessions.
As a founder of JUBA Collective, Kahil El ‘Zabar
further cements his recognition in the musical community as an arts innovator. El
‘Zabar has been a multi-disciplinary
creator, a writer, collaborator, composer, educator, curator, and
instrumentalist throughout his thirty-year career, and in all instances it is the continuum of life that inspires
him to produce. El ‘Zabar is a
recognized leader in the Chicago avant-garde and has evolved into a master
instrumentalist of African sounds in conga drums and kalimba. In April 2002 El
‘Zabar was recognized by the Chicago Tribune as “Artist of the
Year.”
Saturday, September 7 – Sunday,
September 29
Dzine Wall Project
Saturday, September 7, 4 pm
This visual installation by Dzine is created
directly on the MCA’s walls, and reflects recent projects, including his 2002
collaboration with Judy Ledgerwood. Dzine,
co-founder of Aerosoul Crew, presently works out of his studios in Chicago and
Paris. The opening reception features
music by Paris-based DJ and Palais de Tokyo curator Jerome Sans.
Tuesday, September 10, 6 pm
Dzine and Barry Blinderman Discussion
Having won national acclaim for his works, Dzine holds
a conversation about the development of graffiti and mural art and
its relationship to parallel developments in club and electronic music. Barry Blinderman, director and
curator of Illinois State University Galleries, joins Dzine in leading
this discussion.
Saturday, September 14, 3 pm
Invited musicians and artists join members of JUBA
Collective in a cross-genre jam.
Saturday, September 21, 8 pm (A World Music Festival
Chicago: 2002 concert)
Omar Sosa Octet (Cuba/Venezuela/Morocco)
JUBA Quartet
Pianist Omar Sosa’s rowdy blend of Afro and acid
jazz fused with the pulse of Havana produces a sound that is both rooted in the
influences of his predecessors, yet completely forward looking in style. His new octet is drenched in free
improvisational jazz, Oakland-based rap, and Arabic vocals. This double bill also features the JUBA
Quartet in a multi-generational exploration of African roots in music and
popular culture. The JUBA Quartet
is comprised of JUBA leader Kahil El ‘Zabar, guitarist Fareed Haque,
reedist Ari Brown, and keyboardist Robert “Baabe” Irving.
Held at Humboldt Park Boathouse,
1400 N. Humboldt Blvd.
This one-of-a-kind event, hosted in conjunction with the World
Music Festival, features musical encounters between members of JUBA and
Festival supergroups Yerba Buena and Truco & Zaperoko.
Tuesday, September 24, 5 pm
Tuesday, September 24, 6 pm
This evening gives audiences a preview of the dynamic and
inspired sounds created by the full JUBA Collective. Following the open rehearsal, founder and leader of JUBA
Collective Kahil El ‘Zabar takes audiences through a verbal history of jazz in
Chicago.
Saturday, September 28, 9 pm (a
World Music Festival Chicago: 2002 concert)
Held at Park West, 322 W.
Armitage
Building upon the diverse background of its members, JUBA
Collective culminates its month-long MCA residency with this concert. As a cross-genre multigenerational Chicago
collective, JUBA explores the dance and groove in music, spoken word, and
visual art. The evening spotlights the
full JUBA Collective, with planned appearances by special guest DJs and
international World Music Festival performers.
WORLD
MUSIC FESTIVAL CHICAGO: 2002
The citywide World Music Festival
features two weeks of music from cultures across the globe. Presented by the Chicago Department of
Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of Special Events in association with
the MCA, Old Town School, and HotHouse/CIPEX.
For a complete World Music Festival schedule call the Festival hotline
at 312-742-1938 or visit www.cityofchicago.org/WorldMusic.
Saturday, September 21 – Saturday September 28
Tickets $12 except September 22, free
The MCA joins the fourth annual
citywide World Music Festival Chicago: 2002 and spotlights collaborations
through music with JUBA Collective. All
events are at the MCA unless otherwise noted.
Saturday, September 21, 8 pm
Omar Sosa Octet (Cuba/Venezuela/Morocco)
JUBA Quartet (U.S.)
For complete concert information, please see above listing
under JUBA Collective.
Held at Humboldt Park Boathouse,
1400 N. Humboldt Blvd.
For complete concert information, please see above listing
under JUBA Collective.
Wednesday, September 25, 8 pm
This concert showcases the music and dance of the whirling dervishes
of Damascus as well as other traditional Arabic styles.
Thursday, September 26, 8 pm
Anouar Brahem Trio (Tunisia)
The preeminent oud master Anouar Brahem returns the oud
instrument to its celebrated place as the “Sultan of the takht” (traditional
Arabic orchestra), changing the way that listeners hear the music of his
homeland. Brahem’s “exquisitely
nuanced…serpentine improvisations” (The Other Stream) create melodies
that span Baghdad to Andalusia. Jaunty
clarinet and percussion performers round out this unique trio. Kurdish Ensemble
Alandan, who reside in the European Diaspora, perform the exuberant and emotive
music of Kurdistan. Celebrating the
history of their culture, their music features dynamic lute, percussion, and
vocal performances.
Friday, September 27, 8 pm
Fra Fra Sound (Suriname/Holland)
Douglas Ewart Clarinet
Choir (U. S.)
The inventive septet, Fra Fra Sound, is creating the jazz
of tomorrow by blending powerful Afro-Caribbean and Latin rhythms with American
hardbop, blues, and gospel. Rounding
out the double bill for the evening is the virtuoso, composer, and inventor
Douglas Ewart and his ensemble featuring Mwata Bowden, J. D. Perron, and other
fearless reedsmen.
Saturday, September 28, 9 pm
JUBA Collective (U. S.)
Held at Park West at 322 W. Armitage
For complete concert information, please see above listing
under JUBA Collective.
ASIAN
AMERICAN JAZZ 2002: CHICAGO
Co-presented
by MCA and Asian American Jazz Festival
Thursday,
October 24 – Saturday, October 26
Tickets $18/MCA members $14
Featuring new music that is steeped in Asian traditions,
these concerts fuse together a variety of musical mediums from free jazz and
big band to electronic. Additional performances
are held on Sunday, October 27 at Hothouse.
For further concert information, please contact the MCA box office at
312-397-4010 or visit www.asianimprov.com.
Thursday, October 24, 8 pm
Wu Man and Tatsu Aoki
This opening night celebration features Silk Road Ensemble
pipa virtuoso, Wu Man, and the bassist Tatsu Aoki, founder of Asian American
Jazz Festival in Chicago.
Friday, October 25, 8 pm
Jon Jang and David Murray
Tatsu Aoki/Robbie Hunsinger/Joseph Jarman Trio
Presented in association with the Jazz Institute of Chicago
This evening blends together the distinctive sounds of
Asian American and African American jazz greats. Acclaimed Chinese American composer/pianist Jon Jang joins
celebrated saxophonist David Murray in concert. Rounding out this double bill, bassist Tatsu Aoki joins woodwind
artists Robbie Hunsinger and Joseph Jarman for an evening of improvised
music.
Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet
Presented in association with Soundfield 2002
Otomo Yoshihide, one of Japan’s most acclaimed and
influential electronic musicians, presents the U.S. debut of his new group, The
New Jazz Quintet. The Quintet performs
original jazz compositions drawing upon Yoshihide's musical roots – the jazz of
the 1950’s through 1970’s.
Contemporary music group Ensemble Noamnesia, founded by composer, bass
clarinetist and artistic director Gene Coleman, also plays on this double bill. Otomo is composing a new work for this
Chicago-based new music group.
Tickets $18/MCA members $14
Trans-migrations:
Triumph of the Tragedy traces the roots of music and
dance through
the history of African peoples from
Chicago and the industrial north, back to the rural south and through the
middle passage to Africa.
This compelling dance/music work is being created in
collaboration with Muntu’s artistic director Amaniyea Payne and composer and
saxophonist Ernest Khabeer Dawkins. The
project culminates the MCA’s three-year stewardship of Dawkins’ Meet the Composer
Resident activities in Chicago’s Englewood community.
A First Night discussion with Ernest Khabeer Dawkins
and Amaniyea Payne is held Saturday, February 1 immediately following the
performance.
Ernest
Dawkins’ residence with the Museum of Contemporary Art was made possible by
Meet the Composer, Inc. and its New Residencies program. Funding for New Residencies was provided by
The Pew Charitable Trusts, with additional support for the National Endowment
for the Arts and other generous supporters.
Additional support for the residency is generously provided by the Joyce
Foundation.