Mardi Gras Carnival

March 22, 2014 at 8:00PM, McAninch Arts Center

The CJP Chamber Ensemble, featuring Howard Levy and Reginald Robinson, explores the musical traditions that contributed to the vibrant culture of the Crescent City and its signature creation, jazz. This dynamic program includes ragtime melodies, brass band marches, funeral processions, and more. The concert includes the premiere performance of Survival of the Saints, a new work by Davis that pays tribute to the resilient spirit of Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Press

Chicago Tribune (Februrary 25, 2014)
“"It's a tribute to the spirit of the people of New Orleans and what they went through to survive Katrina," says Davis, referring to the hurricane of 2005 and its devastating aftermath. The score "is orchestral in nature in the beginning, and it follows the tradition of a New Orleans funeral."

Which means a dirge-like opening movement, reflecting the way New Orleanians traditionally proceed to a funeral; a reflective second movement, complete with sermon; and an exuberant finale, designed to capture the high spirits with which New Orleans citizens celebrate a life, parading home from the cemetery grounds to an ebullient beat.”-Howard Reich

The Chicago Tribune (March 16, 2014)
“The concert explores and celebrates the rich musical culture of New Orleans with ragtime melodies, brass band marches and more in a program of music drawing from legends like Louis Armstrong and King Oliver who helped bring the signature New Orleans sound to the world.[...]The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) provides rich, accessible, multi-cultural music experiences that bridge gaps in jazz and classical genres. Drawing from a wealth of Chicago area talent, the CJP has the programming and instrumentation to perform works from the standard jazz big band to the classical symphony, while creating a “new aesthetic” in cross-genre collaborations.”-Ann Fink