Special Event!
November 24 7pm- 9:00
at AHS Old Hall
THE MAKANDA PROJECT
featuring and
performing
the music of
CHICO FREEMAN
with AHS Jazz Band as Opening Act
$20 general admission
$10 seniors
free admission for students. This concert is made possible by a grant from the The Boston Foundation.
Chico Freeman is the son of legendary saxophonist Von Freeman and a product of Chicago's famed Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He arrived on the New York scene in the late 1970s and immediately established himself as one of the leading tenor saxophonists of his generation. In his illustrious career since then, he has worked with a long list of jazz greats including Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, Wynton Marsalis, John Hicks, Mal Waldron, and Bobby Hutcherson, as well as leading musicians from other genres such as Memphis Slim, Tito Puente, Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Eurythmics. He has also been a prominent band leader. He has recorded over two dozen albums, mostly featuring his own compositions, including classics such as "Kings of Mali," "Destiny's Dance," and "Spirit Sensitive." He also organized the all-star groups The Leaders and Roots.
The Makanda Project was formed in 2005 to play the previously unrecorded compositions of Boston native Makanda Ken McIntyre (1931-2001). The 13 piece group includes several of Boston's leading jazz musicians as well as some top musicians from New York. The Makanda Project has been presenting its own regular series of free concerts in Roxbury MA for over a dozen years, and through them has developed a strong local following and reputation. Pianist and leader John Kordalewski also functions as the group's arranger; to date he has arranged over 50 McIntyre compositions for the band along with some works by other composers. Recently he has begun working with Chico Freeman to create what are the first big band arrangements of his music.
For the Arlington concert - only the second time the group has performed in Metro West - the Makanda Project will present a program consisting entirely of Chico Freeman compositions. The Arlington High Jazz Band led by Tino D’Agostino will present an opening set.
Kurtis Rivers - alto saxophone
Arni Cheatham - alto saxophone
Paavo Carey - soprano saxophone, clarinet
Chico Freeman - tenor saxophone
Sean Berry - tenor saxophone
Charlie Kohlhase - baritone saxophone
Jerry Sabatini - trumpet
Haneef Nelson - trumpet
Ku-umba Frank Lacy - trombone
Tyler Bonilla - trombone
Bill Lowe - bass trombone, tuba
John Kordalewski - piano
Avery Sharpe - bass
Yoron Israel - drums
