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The Makanda Project

After Makanda Ken McIntyre passed away unexpectedly in 2001, it was discovered that, in addition to the approximately 75 original compositions that appear on his albums, he had written around 350 more that had not been recorded or, in most cases, performed in public.  Makanda was a brilliant composer.  His compositions are marked by a distinctive rhythmic and lyrical quality, along with how effectively he can do the unexpected.  The unrecorded compositions promised to be a significant body of work.

The Makanda Project was formed in 2005 so that this music could be explored by musicians and heard by the public.  Pianist and leader John Kordalewski, who studied and performed with Makanda has, as of 2023, arranged over 60 of the compositions for a large ensemble.  With new arrangements, and without the opportunity to hear Makanda’s performances of these pieces, the Makanda Project’s approach differs from that of the “ghost bands” that sometimes form to honor the legacy of a great musician.  Whereas those bands essentially revisit the original, with the same repertoire and instrumentation, the Makanda Project is extending Dr. McIntyre’s work in new ways, and has developed its own identity with his compositions as a vehicle.