The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra continues its 42nd season with premieres of new works by Mark Harvey, including Sisyphus of the Snow Banks, inspired by the recent record-setting snowfall in the Boston area; a free-form romp titled Out and Out; and the big band premiere of FiLmprov Cha Cha Cha. The band marks the Billy Strayhorn Centennial with his lovely ballad Almost Cried, from the movie Anatomy of a Murder. Aardvark audience favorites No Walls and De-Evolution Blues are also on tap. The band will honor the Boston Marathon survivors and victims, including MIT police officer Sean Collier, with Mark Harvey’s piece Commemoration (Boston 2013), given its premiere in 2014.
About the Artists
The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, led by founder and music director Mark Harvey, is one of the longest running large jazz ensembles in the world, now celebrating its 42nd season. The band performs widely in festivals, clubs, concert halls, colleges and universities; has premiered more than 160 works for jazz orchestra; and has released 12 CDs to international acclaim, including 7 discs on Leo Records, one of the world’s leading adventuresome music labels. Guest artists who have appeared with Aardvark include jazz luminaries Jaki Byard, Sheila Jordan, Jimmy Giuffre, Geri Allen, Lewis Porter, Vinny Golia, Dominique Eade, Jay Clayton, Paul Lovens, Rajesh Mehta, Matt Savage and Walter Thompson.
Mark Harvey has performed as trumpeter in the U.S., Mexico and Europe; has recorded with George Russell (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey (Arista/Novus); and performed with Gil Evans, Claudio Roditi, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, Joe Carroll, Kenny Dorham and others. He has received awards and commissions from ASCAP, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the 15th Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, the MIT Wind Ensemble, the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, and Meet-the-Composer-Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest Commissioning Program, among others. Commissions have featured such notables as Joe Lovano, Steve Turre, Herb Pomeroy and Ran Blake. Dr. Harvey teaches jazz studies and composition at MIT. He is a founding board member of JazzBoston.
Aardvark is: Arni Cheatham, Michael Heller, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; Jeff Marsanskis, Tom Plsek, Randy Pingrey/trombones; Richard Nelson/guitar; John Funkhouser/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Grace Brockmeyer, Jerry Edwards/vocalists; Mark Harvey/music director
Aardvark is managed exclusively by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, managing director. Telephone: 617 776 8778. Visit: www.aardvarkjazz.com
