Dee Alexander’s evolution ensemble reunion
Saturday, September 27
TIME: 5:45pm-6:45pm
VENUE: Wagner Stage. Midway Plaisance at South woodlawn Ave.
A black and white photo of Dee Alexander smiling and looking towards the right top corner. Dee has her hair in a bun and wearing a black jacket with eclectic earrings and a necklace.
Photo by Claude Aline Nazaire Miller
Dee Alexander
Dee Alexander, a Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz awardee and one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected vocalists and songwriters, first performed with the Makanda Project in Boston in 2022 and has made annual visits since. Alexander’s talents span every music genre, from gospel to R&B, blues to neo-soul. She is one of the most accomplished voice improvisers in the world today, boasting long and fruitful associations with Chicago’s jazz elite (including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, Nicole Mitchelle, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM)). Working with someone with her artistic sensibilities and range of vocal abilities has enabled The Makanda Project to explore new horizons and continue to grow.
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival performance program will include compositions by Dee Alexander, newly orchestrated for the large ensemble, along with McIntyre pieces from the group’s repertoire. It will include songs with lyrics, improvised solos within the unique forms of Dr. McIntyre’s compositions, free improvisation, and use of the voice as a color within the horn section.
The musicians:
Dee Alexander - vocals
Tomeka Reid - cello
Junius Paul - bass
Ernie Adams - drums