Results for "Chicago"

Benny Goodman

Born: May 30, 1909

Benjamin David Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the eighth child of immigrants David Goodman and Dora Grisinsky Goodman, who left Russia to escape anti-Semitism. Benny's mother never learned to speak English. His father worked for a tailor to support his large family, which eventually grew to include a total of 12 children, and had trouble making ends meet. When Benny was 10 years old, his father sent him to study music at Kehelah Jacob Synagogue in Chicago. There, Benny learned the clarinet under the tutelage of Chicago Symphony member Franz Schoepp, while two of his brothers learned tuba and trumpet

Chico Freeman

Born: July 17, 1949

Heralded as one of the most important saxophonists of our time, musician, composer and producer Chico Freeman marked his return to the United States after more than a decade living and working in Europe with a new album and a new group in 2016. In the early 2000s, with dozens of recordings as a leader, Freeman moved from New York to Europe to start a new chapter of chico2011exploration by focusing on his own self-improvement and self-reflection. His thirst to immerse himself in his music, his curiosity to explore working with different musicians and living in different cultures and challenging himself to be better than he was, all prepared Freeman for this new stateside chapter of his life. “As much as I’ve travelled and on the road playing with such masters as McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Sam Rivers, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie and so many jazz greats, as well as leading my own groups including founding “The Leaders” and the group “Roots,” an inner voice was telling me, you need to go to another level both musically and personally,“ Freeman explains

Joe Farrell

Born: December 16, 1937

Joe Farrell was a journeyman sax man with an impressive resume when he signed on with the CTI label in 1970, and went on to record some of the best music for that label, gaining an international audience with his release of the progressive “Moon Gems,” in 1972.

Joseph Carl Firrantello was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois on Dec. 16, 1937. He was serious about music from an early age and was playing a proficient flute by age 11. Upon graduating from University of Illinois in 1959, he headed to New York and became a freelance musician, by this time well entrenched in the bop technique of the saxophone.

Kahil El'Zabar

Born: November 11, 1953

Internationally renowned percussionist and composer Kahil El'Zabar is considered one of the most prolific jazz innovators of his generation. Indeed El'Zabar is a true "Renaissance Man," with a musical style and content that flows from ancient Africa to the modern world. In his own words, "The spirit of one's approach comes first before the technical. All the facility in the world with nothing that comes from the heart doesn't make good music. The basis of the strength of any artistic evolution has come from ethnicity."

Even though he is fully grounded in the history and music of his African American community, he has taken his studies deeper, ingeniously incorporating African music and instrumentation, producing a unique and wonderfully engaging sound. He credits his community with providing some direction towards African sensibility. "I grew up in a period when African Americans, as a large body, finally started addressing our roots. With African drums there was such an appeal in the way of playing with the hands and the sense of the entire body being involved in the playing of the instrument." El'Zabar is an accomplished musician with mastery of a variety of instruments, from the elementary - congas, bongos, African drums, shekere, gongs, and trap drums - to the esoteric - balaphon, marimba, sanza, kalimba and berimbau.

Ernest Dawkins

Born: November 2, 1953

One of the life goals of Ernest Dawkins is to represent the African American cultural experience through his music. His musical art form reflects the rich background and cultural distinctions of African American life. He is one of Chicago's premier jazz saxophonist whose music reflects his extraordinary talent not just as a musician but a composer as well. He has recorded eleven CD's and is the founder and leader of his own group, New Horizons Ensemble. Dawkins started his musical career at the tender age of twelve when he learned how to play the bass and conga drams. At nineteen he became mesmerized by the sound of the saxophone while listening to his father's jazz recordings of Lester Young

Bob Cranshaw

Born: December 10, 1932

Bob Cranshaw has been the bassist of choice for Sonny Rollins since 1959. Their forty-seven-year collaboration is the subject of a new video on Sonny's website, “Bob Cranshaw and Sonny Rollins, The First Gig." Created by Bret Primack, it features interviews with both Rollins and Cranshaw . Exclusive performance footage includes excerpts from The Sonny Rollins Group in Concert back in April in California. The content is also available as an MP3 download. Born December 10, 1932, the Evanston, Illinois native started on drums and piano before switching to the tuba and bass in high school. He was a founding member of Walter Perkins' MJT +3 band in 1957 and it was Perkins who recommended Bob to Sonny as a replacement bassist for a gig at the first Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicago in 1959. Bob Cranshaw's discography is nothing short of amazing

Billy Branch

Born: October 3, 1951

Billy Branch was discovered by Willie Dixon, the "father of modern Chicago Blues," while Billy was still in college. Willie encouraged Billy to finish his college education, which he did, but instead of going to law school after receiving his political science degree, Billy began touring with the Willie Dixon Chicago All-Stars. This gave Billy the unique opportunity to travel and work as an under study for the legendary Carey Bell who was planning to leave the All-Stars and form his own band. When Carey took his leave, the young Billy Branch took his place, touring with Willie Dixon for 6 years

Bradley Parker-Sparrow

Patricia Barber

Born: November 8, 1955

In 2011 Patricia Barber has just finished a new 'live' album of the Patricia Barber Quartet recorded ' by Chris Grabowski at the wildly popular Green Mill residency. “Monday Night, vol2” is available through her website: patriciabarber.com She is also putting the finishing touches on other Floyd Records projects, one a DVD entitled Patricia Barber & Kenny Werner— 'Live' in Concert . This chronicles a resplendent evening with Patricia and Kenny and two 9' Steinway pianos at the sold-out 1000 seat Pick- Staiger Auditorium—this DVD will be available in the spring

Christopher Madsen

Born: October 9, 1981

Jazz saxophonist Christopher Madsen is one of the most in-demand figures in the Chicago jazz world as a performer, composer, and pedagogue. He serves as full-time jazz faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago, jazz faculty at Midwest Young Artists in Highwood, IL, and was Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) from 2008-2014. He is a sought-after jazz clinician, adjudicating at jazz festivals and offering workshops to ensembles of all ages and levels from across the globe. He is a Vandoren Performing Artist, member of the Fulbright Specialist Program roster, Jazz Education Network, the National Educator’s Association, and the National Association for Music Education