April 14--A touch of youth will be taking the stage of Orchestra Hall for the 2015-16 Symphony Center Presents Jazz series.
Saxophonist Joshua Redman, trumpeter Marquis Hill, singer Gregory Porter, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and other under-50 artists will headline a season that also will include jazz icons, including saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianists McCoy Tyner and Chucho Valdes and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Following is an annotated guide to the season, with insights from Jim Fahey, director of programming at Symphony Center Presents. Though there will be no commissioned work in the new season, Fahey says he hopes to return to that tradition in the near future.
All concerts start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit cso.org or phone 312-294-3000.
The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman: In October of 2013, the Bad Plus turned in one of the most gripping concerts of the year, audaciously offering a stripped-down version of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" at the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts. Other ventures by the popular trio, alas, have been considerably less appealing. Saxophonist Redman has produced brilliantly original work as well as blander, jam-band fare. Will the two bring out the best in each other? At the very least, Symphony Center's jazz series will be opening with a youthful note, both the Bad Plus and Redman having shown an ability to draw young listeners. Oct. 16.
Chucho Valdes and Irakere: To this day, 73-year-old Cuban pianist-bandleader Valdes ranks among the colossal virtuosos in jazz, thanks to an all-encompassing technique, massive sound, profound knowledge of the jazz and classical repertoire and, of course, an irrepressible creativity. "It's great that he's coming with Irakere," says Fahey, referring to the latest incarnation of the influential Cuban band Valdes has led for decades. "But just having him on the piano -- it's going to be what the night is all about." Moreover, the current thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations makes this event particularly timely. The American embargo of the island is still in effect, after all, but cultural exchange between the two countries never really stopped. Nov. 6.
McCoy Tyner in "Echoes With a Friend": Another piano giant, Tyner earned wide admiration for his 1972 album "Echoes of a Friend," in which he played a solo homage to John Coltrane. This time, Tyner will lead his trio in a program that also will feature two younger pianists, Geri Allen and Danilo Perez. The Tyner event, says Fahey, is a "way to bring him back (to Orchestra Hall) and pay tribute to a legend, and also bring along two, as it were, not-young lions." Allen and Perez, in other words, are established, mid-career artists who nonetheless advance Tyner's innovations to younger generations. Dec. 4.
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: Marsalis' Symphony Center residency with the JALC Orchestra last Valentine's Day weekend reminded listeners of how rewarding these three-concert marathons can be. For in addition to the public performances, the JALC musicians fanned out to schools across Chicago, giving students a chance to learn from the masters. Once again, Marsalis and his JALC colleagues will be in residence, the band launching the engagement on Jan. 22, 2015; playing a Jazz for Young People matinee on Jan 23; and performing a "Battle Royale" concert alongside the Count Basie Orchestra on the evening of Jan. 23.
Christian McBride; Willie Pickens: McBride, a hyper-virtuoso bassist, will lead his trio (featuring pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr.) plus vibraphonist Gary Burton, trumpeter Sean Jones and saxophonist Tia Fuller in what's billed as the Mack Avenue Records Super Band. Still more enticing, Chicago piano titan Willie Pickens will open the evening, leading his trio with bassist Larry Gray and drummer Greg Artry. Feb. 19.
Stefon Harris; Rudresh Mahanthappa: In the 1990s, Harris brought youthful energy to jazz vibraphone, and he continues to extend the sonic possibilities of the instrument. For this occasion, he'll lead his new band, Sonic Creed. Longtime Chicago jazz lovers will remember that saxophonist Mahanthappa launched his career here in the 1990s and has come a long way creatively since then. His newest album, "Bird Calls," stands as a profound exploration of the legacy of Charlie Parker, and that's the music he'll play here, with trumpeter Adam O'Farrill, pianist Joshua White, bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston. Feb. 26.
Brad Mehldau Trio: Impossible to categorize, pianist Mehldau draws from a braod range of musical sources: jazz, classical, pop and rock among them. He's also among the few Symphony Center jazz headliners this season not to share a double-bill. "It's such a great trio, I felt he deserved a night on his own," says Fahey of Mehldau's long-running collaboration with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard. April 1.
Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra: This evening will unfold as "A Tribute to Sarah Vaughan," with not one but three vocalists addressing Vaughan's enormous legacy. "Jeff was adamant that we should spread the wealth and not put this tremendous challenge on any one vocalist or two," says Fahey. The three divas will be Dee Alexander, Rene Marie and Anne Hampton Callaway, each indeed poised to highlight distinct aspects of Vaughan's work. May 20.
Wayne Shorter: A visionary among saxophonist-composers, 81-year-old Shorter has penned classics such as "Footprints" and extended the harmonic possibilities of jazz in his compositions and improvisations. He'll lead his long-standing quartet with pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. May 27.
Gregory Porter; Marquis Hill: In just the past few seasons, Porter has emerged as the leading male jazz vocalist under age 50, and for good reason. The size and stature of his instrument, the originality of his songwriting and the palpable charisma he brings to the stage position him for an ever-growing audience. Trumpeter Hill was born, raised and trained in Chicago and last year won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition. He's now based in New York, which means this performance will be something of a triumphant homecoming for him. June 10.
Joe Segal's NEA honor
Jazz Showcase founder Joe Segal, who has presented the music in Chicago since 1947, on Monday evening will receive the nation's highest jazz honor: The National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz Masters Fellowship (which comes with $25,000).
He'll be saluted at Jazz at Lincoln Center, in New York, alongside pianist-composer Carla Bley and saxophonists George Coleman and Charles Lloyd. The event will be streamed live at 6:30 p.m. Monday at arts.gov.
I asked Segal, 88, his thoughts on this recognition, and his responses proved so characteristically succinct and pungent that perhaps it's best to offer an excerpt of our conversation verbatim:
Tribune: What are your thoughts as you prepare to receive this award?
Segal: Nothing. I just hope the flight is nice and easy.
Tribune: Well, what does this award mean to you?
Segal: I can't say. I've got to save it for Monday.
Tribune: Well, what do you say to your fans in Chicago, who have been following you for decades?
Segal: Keep following. We need the money.
Tribune: Speaking of which, what are you going to do with the cash?
Segal: We just put it in our kitty to pay bills. We've got bills coming out of our ears.
Tribune: Is it harder now to present jazz than before, or easier?
Segal: It's more difficult, first of all, because most of the real players are gone. And, secondly, the rates have gone up in the hotels. Then you have so many free concerts going on. That's the big stuff. Plus, of course, the whole general public opinion of music has changed.
Tribune: You mean the broad public doesn't seek out jazz?
Segal: They don't know what jazz is and don't care.
Tribune: Then why have you stuck with it?
Segal: Why did you stick with it?
Tribune: Because I love it, and there's nothing else I want to do.
Segal: There you go.
Tribune: Did you ever think your career as a presenter would last this long?
Segal: I didn't think I would last this long. I hope I make it till next week.
"Portraits in Jazz": Howard Reich's e-book collects his exclusive interviews with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and others, as well as profiles of early masters such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. Get "Portraits in Jazz" at chicagotribune.com/ebooks.
hreich@tribpub.com
