FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 14, 2015
Press Contacts:
Eileen Chambers, 312-294-3092
Rachelle Roe, 312-294-3090
Photos Available By Request
[email protected]
SYMPHONY CENTER PRESENTS JAZZ SERIES
2015/16 PROGRAMS ANNOUNCED
Series to Feature Jazz Legends McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter and Chucho Valdés
in a Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Irakere
New Projects from Joshua Redman and The Bad Plus, Stefon Harris,
Rudresh Mahanthappa, Christian McBride and Gregory Porter
Chicago Artists Including Willie Pickens, Marquis Hill and Chicago Jazz
Orchestra in A Tribute to Sarah Vaughn featuring Vocalists Dee Alexander,
Anne Hampton Callaway and René Marie
Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Return for Multi-Day
Residency Including Special Concert with Count Basie Orchestra
CHICAGO—The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) announces the 2015/16
Symphony Center Presents (SCP) Jazz series programming. Now entering its 22nd season, the
SCP Jazz series at historic Orchestra Hall includes ten concerts featuring today's most
acclaimed and innovative jazz artists. Non-subscription special concerts for the 2015/16 season
have also been added.
The SCP Jazz series welcomes jazz legends McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter and Chucho Valdés
back to the stage in the 2015/16 season. NEA jazz master McCoy Tyner’s legendary recording
Echoes of a Friend is celebrated in a concert called Echoes With a Friend that includes
performances by pianists Geri Allen, Danilo Pérez and the McCoy Tyner Trio. Saxophonist
Wayne Shorter returns for a full evening with the Wayne Shorter Quartet in May. Sensational
Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés marks 40 years of the revolutionary Latin Jazz band Irakere in a
one-of-a kind concert event.
In addition to legendary jazz musicians, the next generation of jazz innovators and rising stars
brings new projects to the SCP Jazz lineup this year. The Bad Plus returns for the first time in
ten years to join saxophonist Joshua Redman for the season's opening concert. Stefon Harris
with his new band Sonic Creed and Rudresh Mahanthappa share a double-bill, Grammy Awardwinning vocalist Gregory Porter headlines a June concert and the Christian McBride Trio joins
special guests Gary Burton, Tia Fuller and Sean Jones to form a Mack Avenue Records Super
Band for one night only.
Acclaimed Chicago artists and ensembles shine in the season ahead with featured
performances to include those by iconic Chicago jazzman and pianist Willie Pickens with his trio
and thrilling young trumpet talent Marquis Hill, as well as a new salute to legendary jazz vocalist
Sarah Vaughan from the Chicago Jazz Orchestra featuring vocalists Dee Alexander, René
Marie and Anne Hampton Callaway.
The 2015/16 SCP concert schedule also expands to include two special concerts on Saturday,
January 23 featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as part of a
multi-day residency. The performance Saturday, January 23, at 1 p.m., is a Jazz for Young
People® Matinee and the performance Saturday, January 23, at 8 p.m. is a double big band
concert with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra joining the Legendary
Count Basie Orchestra led by Scotty Barnhart for one night only. Zakir Hussain and the Masters
of Percussion also return Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m. in a SCP special concert that offers a
musical journey that crosses the spectrum of Indian classical music with performances by worldclass percussionists.
The powerhouse trio of Ethan Iverson, piano; Reid Anderson, bass; and David King, drums—
more widely known as The Bad Plus—joins forces with saxophonist and composer Joshua
Redman to open the SCP Jazz series on Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m. The Bad Plus, who last
appeared at Symphony Center in 2005, commands international attention for their singular
interpretations of music by artists as diverse as Nirvana, ABBA and Stravinsky. One of jazz’s
most active innovators, Redman tapped the trio to form a supergroup, whose highly-original
compositions chart new musical ground for a jazz quartet.
Legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés returns to Symphony Center on Friday, November 6,
at 8 p.m. The evening celebrates 40 years of the revolutionary Latin jazz band Irakere, which he
co-founded. Despite the political barriers that kept the band from traveling to the U.S. in the
1970’s, Irakere exploded onto the jazz scene with its Afro-Cuban jazz and Cuban popular dance
influences, as well as their distinctive use of traditional percussion instruments. With Valdés still
a towering figure at the keyboard at 73, the band continues to absorb new styles and sounds,
making its mark as one of the most trailblazing Afro-Cuban fusion bands in jazz today.
The concert Echoes With a Friend takes its cue from McCoy Tyner’s landmark solo piano
recording entitled Echoes of a Friend, which honored jazz legend John Coltrane. On Friday,
December 4 at 8 p.m., pianists Geri Allen and Danilo Pérez celebrate the rich jazz keyboard
traditions of master jazz pianist McCoy Tyner in solo sets on a concert that also includes an
appearance by the McCoy Tyner Trio.
A highlight of the SCP Jazz series each year, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with
extraordinary bandleader and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis returns for three concerts during a
multi-day residency on January 22 and 23. The internationally acclaimed 15-piece ensemble,
which comprises some of today’s top jazz virtuosos (Marcus Printup, Victor Goines, Dan
Nimmer, Ali Jackson and more), performs timeless big band standards and new works in their
series concert on Friday, January 22 at 8 p.m. Two Symphony Center Presents Special
Concerts are set for Saturday, January 23. At 1 p.m., Wynton Marsalis leads an interactive Jazz
for Young People® matinee program called Who is Duke Ellington?. Capping the residency
is an extraordinary big band “Battle Royale” at 8 p.m. with the Legendary Count Basie
Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart joining Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra on stage. This raucous and joyous celebration of big band traditions will
include the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn classics
and the Count Basie Orchestra, celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2015, performing signature
Basie standards.
Veteran jazz bassist Christian McBride returns on Friday, February 19, at 8 p.m. For this
concert, McBride’s bold rhythmic style is on display as bandleader of the Christian McBride
Trio that showcases emerging young jazz talents Christian Sands on piano and Ulysses
Owens, Jr. on drums. The trio, which has garnered accolades for its recent Mack Avenue
Records release Out There, expands to form a Mack Avenue Records Super Band along with
legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, trumpeter Sean Jones and the multi-talented saxophonist
Tia Fuller. Famed Chicago piano man Willie Pickens opens the evening on February 19 in a
performance with his trio (Willie Pickens, piano; Larry Gray, bass; Greg Artry, drums). Pickens,
who launched his career at the piano next to a host of jazz greats including Sonny Rollins,
James Moody, Clark Terry, Max Roach and Elvin Jones, is a lifelong educator and arranger.
Now in his 80’s, Pickens continues to summon extraordinary power at the keyboard with
performances recognizable for their complex array of color and sound.
Grammy-nominated vibraphonist and composer Stefon Harris and his newest band Sonic
Creed create a virtuosic and high-energy groove driven by the group’s passion for genres
spanning postpop, funk, R&B and more. Harris is joined by band members Elena Pinderhughes
(flute), Mike Moreno (guitar), James Francies (piano), Joshua Crumbly (bass) and Jonathan
Pinson (drums). The first half of the evening’s double bill on Friday, February 26, at 8 p.m. is the
critically acclaimed new project Bird Calls from saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. For this
homage to saxophone great Charlie Parker, improviser extraordinaire Mahanthappa shares the
stage with Adam O’Farrill (trumpet), Joshua White (piano), François Moutin (bass) and Rudy
Royston.
The Brad Mehldau Trio (Brad Mehldau, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums)
returns to the SCP Jazz series for the first time since 2009, in a concert on Friday, April 1, at 8
p.m. Known for stretching musical boundaries and comfortable with repertoire that includes
original compositions, jazz standards and tunes from contemporary artists such as Radiohead,
Nick Drake and Sufjan Stevens, the Brad Mehldau Trio communicates a unique intensity in its
performances.
On Friday, May 20, at 8 p.m., Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra offers A Tribute to
Sarah Vaughan. This unique program, developed in collaboration with Symphony Center
Presents, features transcriptions of Sarah Vaughan big band charts by master arranger Jeff
Lindberg. Three exceptional vocalists step into the spotlight to honor the legacy of one of the
great ladies of jazz. For this special salute, Chicago’s own Dee Alexander and Grammynominee René Marie return to Symphony Center and Anne Hampton Callaway makes her
Symphony Center debut.
From his early stints with jazz legends Art Blakey and Miles Davis to co-founding the standout
jazz fusion group Weather Report, saxophonist Wayne Shorter has had a lasting impact on
jazz. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner appears with his Quartet featuring
Danilo Pérez (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums) on Friday, May 27, at 8
p.m.
After his thrilling SCP Jazz series debut in 2013, Grammy Award-winning singer Gregory
Porter takes the stage as headliner in a concert on Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. One of today’s
most thoughtful and original songwriters, Porter draws upon influences as diverse as country,
gospel, pop and R&B to deliver soulful vocals in his rich baritone. Opening for Porter is talented
trumpeter and bandleader Marquis Hill. After moving to New York City following his win in the
prestigious Thelonious Monk Competition, Hill comes home to Chicago to lead the Marquis Hill
BlackTet that features players Christopher McBride (also saxophone), Justin Thomas
(vibraphone), Joshua Ramos (bass) and Makaya McCraven (drums).
For 2015/16 SCP Jazz series program listings information, click here.
Subscriptions for the 2015/16 SCP Jazz season in five-concert or ten-concert series are on sale
now and begin at $130. Subscribers to any SCP Jazz series can purchase single tickets to any
SCP Special Concerts now. Single tickets for SCP Jazz concerts and SCP Special Concerts go
on sale August 7, 2015.
Subscriptions for the 2015/16 Symphony Center Presents Jazz season and tickets to SCP
Special Concerts can be purchased by phone at 800-223-7114 or 312-294-3000; online at
cso.org, or at the Symphony Center box office: 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.
Discounted student tickets for select concerts can be purchased subject to availability, online in
advance or at the box office on the day of the concert. For group rates, please call 312-2943040.
Artists, programs and prices are subject to change.
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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra www.cso.org and www.csosoundsandstories.org/.
Founded in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of the greatest
orchestras in the world. Since 2010, the preeminent conductor Riccardo Muti has served as its 10th
music director. Pierre Boulez is the CSO’s Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus, Yo-Yo Ma is its Judson
and Joyce Green Creative Consultant, and Mason Bates and Anna Clyne are its Mead Composers-inResidence.
From baroque through contemporary music, the CSO commands a vast repertoire. Its renowned
musicians annually perform more than 150 concerts, most at Symphony Center in Chicago and, each
summer, at the suburban Ravinia Festival. They regularly tour nationally and internationally. Since 1892,
the CSO has made 58 international tours, performing in 29 countries on five continents.
People around the globe listen to weekly radio broadcasts of CSO concerts and recordings on the WFMT
network and online at cso.org/radio. Recordings by the CSO have earned 62 Grammy Awards, including
two in 2011 for Muti’s recording with the CSO and Chorus of Verdi's Messa da Requiem (Muti’s first of
four releases with the CSO to date). Find details on these and many other CSO recordings at
www.cso.org/resound.
The CSO is part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, which includes the Chicago Symphony
Chorus (Duain Wolfe, Director and Conductor) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a preprofessional
training ensemble. Through its prestigious Symphony Center Presents series, the CSOA presents guest
artists and ensembles from a variety of genres—classical, jazz, world, and contemporary.
The Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO offers community and education programs that annually
engage more than 200,000 people of diverse ages and backgrounds. Through the Institute and other
activities, including a free annual concert with Muti and the CSO, the CSO promotes the concept of
Citizen Musicianship™: using the power of music to create connections and build community.
The CSO is supported by tens of thousands of patrons, volunteers and institutional and individual donors.
Bank of America is the Global Sponsor of the CSO. The CSO’s music director position is endowed in
perpetuity by a generous gift from the Zell Family Foundation. The Negaunee Foundation provides
generous support in perpetuity for the work of the Negaunee Music Institute.