Dee Alexander with the Makanda Project
Composer and vocalist Dee Alexander is one of Chicago’s most celebrated jazz artists, and also has a long history with Cafe Coda; Alexander’s quartet played the venue’s grand opening show at its original location in 2017. So it’s no surprise that Alexander is bringing a special project to Coda: her ongoing collaboration with the Boston-based Makanda Project, a 13-piece ensemble dedicated to performing and recording previously unheard compositions by multi-instrumentalist and educator Makanda Ken McIntyre, who died in 2001. The concert will feature both works by McIntyre and songs by Alexander newly arranged for the big band.
media release: Cafe CODA proudly presents this special performance from Dee Alexander, one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female vocalist/songwriters. Dee will be collaborating with the Makanda Project (13 musicians!), for an evening of original jazz compositions, and songs. The program includes compositions by Dee Alexander newly orchestrated for the large ensemble, along with McIntyre's pieces from the group’s repertoire. It contains songs with lyrics, improvised solos within the unique forms of Dr. McIntyre’s compositions, free improvisation, and the use of the voice as a color within the horn section.
Dee's talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B, from Blues to Neo-Soul. Yet her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through her Jazz music performance. From a soft, sultry traditional ballad, to a contemporary Jazz-Funk groove; from a high flying swing, to a scat-filled romp, Dee Alexander delivers each style with a passion and love of music that comes across in each and every note, and with a style and grace that is truly her own. Besides being a phenomenal headliner in her own right, Dee has shared the stage with Ahmad Jamal, David Sanborn, Earl Klugh, Gerald Albright, Roy Ayers, Joshua Redman, and the O’Jays. Not being one to ever feel that the spotlight has to belong exclusively to her, Ms. Alexander has lent her considerable talents as a backup vocalist to the live performances of an array of many other well-known artists i.e., Michael Bolton, Phil Perry, Willie Clayton, and Zora Young. Dee has also formed the Evolution Ensemble which is an acoustic group that consists of string instruments and percussion with a strong emphasis on original compositions.
The Makanda Project, based in Boston, was started in 2005 to explore the previously unrecorded compositions of Makanda Ken McIntyre (1931-2001). Dr. McIntyre, who also made major contributions as a multi-instrumentalist and educator, was a prolific composer with a distinctive voice and a unique gift for doing unexpected things with very musical results. He recorded 75 of his compositions, and upon his passing another 350 were found that had not been recorded or, in most cases, performed in public. Makanda Project leader and pianist John Kordalewski, a former McIntyre student, has arranged over 60 of these pieces for the group’s 10-member horn section, and this music is the core of the group’s repertoire. The members of the group include several noted Boston-area bandleaders, as well as top-level musicians from New York and elsewhere in New England.
Given that there is no record of Dr. McIntyre having performed these compositions, the Makanda Project differs from “tribute bands” whose performances are inevitably compared with original recordings. Rather, the McIntyre compositions have served as a vehicle for the group to develop its own sound and identity.
As the group has evolved, the Makanda Project has developed several ongoing collaborations with renowned musicians who have joined the group as guest artists, performing some of the guests’ own compositions and McIntyre's pieces. Among them: Oliver Lake, Chico Freeman, Ricky Ford, Craig Harris, Michael Gregory Jackson, and Feya Faku. Dee Alexander first performed with the Makanda Project in Boston in 2022 and has made annual visits there since.
Kurtis Rivers - alto saxophone
Rajiv Halim - alto saxophone, flute, clarinet
Sean Berry - tenor saxophone
Temidayo Balogun - tenor saxophone
Charlie Kohlhase - baritone saxophone
Jerry Sabatini - trumpet
Haneef Nelson - trumpet
Alfred Patterson - trombone
Richard Harper - trombone
Bill Lowe - bass trombone
John Kordalewski - piano
Avery Sharpe - bass
Yoron Israel - drums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Tickets: $25 (online) $30 (door)
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