Modern Black Music Ensemble
Saturday, September 27
TIME: 5:00pm-6:00pm
VENUE: Augustana Lutheran Church. 5500 South Woodlawn Ave.
A photo of the Modern Black Music Ensemble playing live on stage, they are wearing all black. Followed by a photo of Renée Baker singing in a crowd.
RenÉe Baker
Renée C. Baker stands as a towering figure in multidisciplinary artistry, transcending the boundaries of music, visual art, film, and composition with unparalleled finesse. Her creative journey unfolds like an epic saga, with over 2000 orchestral and chamber ensemble compositions serving as a testament to her boundless imagination and relentless pursuit of innovation.
As the founding music director and conductor of the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) and Modern Black Music Ensemble, Baker orchestrates a symphony of genres, seamlessly weaving classical elegance with the improvisational spirit of jazz. Her conducting baton becomes a wand of transformation, conjuring surreal landscapes where sonic and visual realms intertwine in a mesmerizing dance. A true Renaissance artist, Baker knows no limits as she melds movement, film projections, and sound into a breathtaking tapestry of sensory delight. Her compositions invite exploration and interpretation, blurring the lines between classicism and experimentation, subjectivity and objectivity.
Baker's influence extends far beyond her compositions, as she nurtures and cultivates new ensembles with the same fervor she brings to her craft. From the Mantra Blue Free Orchestra to the Bleueblue Walkers/Bass Kollektief in Berlin, her ensembles forge new paths in the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary music.
But perhaps Baker's most profound legacy lies in her gestural conducting language, CCL/FLOW–a symphony of movements that transcends words and guides ensembles through her painted-score exploratorium pieces. In her hands, music becomes not just a performance, but a transcendent experience–a journey into the unknown where every note is a brushstroke.
Baker is currently Interim Chair of the renowned Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Her graphic score novels have received critical acclaim following performances in Berlin, Poland, London, Scotland, and Vietnam.
The musicians:
Renée Baker - director/composer
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu – vocals
Zahra Baker - vocals
Taalib Din Ziyad - vocals/flute
Edwin Daugherty – saxophone
Dushun Mosley - percussion
Carlos Pride - talking drum
Bruce Nelson - vibes/percussion