Aardvark Jazz Orchestra

Who is the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra?

Fifteen exuberant musicians and two wonderful vocalists in a well-oiled, freewheeling ensemble that is both adventurous and polished.
program devoted to creative interpretations of the tremendously inspired and varied music of Duke Ellington, along with original works by bandleader Mark Harvey and others.

When: This Friday, November 16, 7:30 PM
Where: Cape Elizabeth High School
345 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
Admission: $10 ($5 students)
Information and reservations: 207-799-3309, ext 111

Also on the same day:
Open rehearsal (free admission): 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Pre-concert panel discussion: 7:00 pm
Post-concert Meet-the-Artist reception: 9:30 pm

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, celebrating its 35th season, will make its Portland-area debut at Cape Elizabeth High School on November 16, in a concert called Ellington Extensions. The program features full orchestra with vocalists Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, in an exhilarating mix of Duke Ellington classics and rarities. Selections will include "The Mooche" from the Cotton Club period, favorites such as "Solitude" and "Come Sunday," as well as "Freedom" from the Second Sacred Concert, and music from Ellington’s film score for Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder. In addition, the band will perform music director Mark Harvey's piece Beyond, a tribute to Ellington’s concept of moving “beyond category” in life and music.

Founded in 1973, the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is known for its wide-ranging repertoire, from the music of Ellington and other jazz greats, to original works by founder/music director Mark Harvey, to performances with film, dance, and poetry. Winner of the 2000 Independent Music Awards, the band has premiered more than 100 works for jazz orchestra and has released 8 CDs (Leo Records, 9Winds, other labels) to international acclaim, with 2 new CDs due out in 07-08.

Aardvark has concertized widely, appearing at the Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival, Lake George (NY) Jazz Weekend, Colby College, Williams College, Princeton University, Equinox Music Festival, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, Berklee Performance Center, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, St Peter’s Church (NYC), and many other venues. The band appeared in a CBS Evening News special on Boston’s First Night and has been featured on numerous NPR-affiliate radio broadcasts. Members of Aardvark recorded improvisational scores for the critically acclaimed DVD series Treasures from American Film Archives.

Mark Harvey has recorded with George Russell (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey (Arista/Novus) and performed with Gil Evans, Claudio Roditi, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, and others. He is a Music Lecturer at MIT and a winner of awards/commissions from ASCAP, the National Endowment, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Commissioning Program, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, the 15th Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, and the MIT Wind Ensemble, among others. Dr. Harvey lectures widely on American music, jazz history, and the music of Duke Ellington.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is managed exclusively by Americas Musicworks
Rebecca DeLamotte, Managing Director
29 Newbury Street, West Somerville, MA USA 02144
Tel: 888-887-7169 ~ Email: delamotte-amw@comcast.net

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