Hyde Park Jazz Festival: The Alexander/McLean Project
@ International House at the University of Chicago
1414 E 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637
Opening Saturday, September 28th, from 7PM - 8PM
DEE ALEXANDER is one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected vocalists and songwriters. Her talents span virtually every genre related to the African diaspora, including gospel, blues, neo-soul, rhythm-and-blues, and world music – but Dee’s true heart belongs to jazz. She names vocalists Sarah Vaughan and saxophonist Henry Huff as major influences; has worked with musicians including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, and Nicole Mitchell; and is a member of the AACM. Her accolades include “Chicagoan of the Year” from the Chicago Tribune, “Jazz Entertainer of the Year” from the Chicago Music Awards, and “Best Singer” from Chicago Magazine. Dee’s 2007 tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington, commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago and performed at Pritzker Pavilion, introduced her to a larger audience and helped her garner world recognition as well.
JOHN McLEAN’S career has included work as a guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, and educator. Since completing his studies at the Berklee College of Music and the University of Miami, he has toured throughout the world and appeared on over fifty recordings. He has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Kurt Elling, Mose Allison, Randy Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Anat Cohen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Richie Cole, Ken Nordine, Joe Locke, Regina Carter, Louis Bellson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Terry Callier, Renee Fleming, John Patitucci, Adam Nussbaum, Ernie Watts, Dave Douglas, Patricia Barber, Kendrick Scott, Arthur Blythe, Eddie Gomez, and many others. Over the course of his thirty years of touring both as a leader and sideman, he has performed in virtually every major city in North America as well as London, Paris, Moscow, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Beijing, Sydney, Sao Paolo, Jakarta, Dublin, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Berlin, Oslo, Reykjavik, Oslo, Stockholm, Istanbul, Bucharest, Helsinki, Seoul, Lisbon, Vienna, Budapest, Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, and Zurich. He has conducted clinics throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Europe and Asia. He currently resides in the Chicago area and teaches at North Central College.
Performing with Dee and John are Charles Rick Heath IV (drums), Jeremiah Hunt (bass), and Steve Million (keyboard/organ)
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Tags: Chicago, Dee Alexander, Hyde Park, Hyde Park Jazz Festival: The Alexander/McLean Project, International House at the University of Chicago, John McLean
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