Chicago Jazz Festival

September 4, 2004

This performance marked the debut for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. An enthusiastic audience of over 9,000 strong witnessed the first time a Chicago artist or organization was to present as headliner for the prestigious festival. The scope and scale of this performance was certainly unlike anything the Chicago Jazz Festival has ever witnessed.

The performance included movements from Orbert Davis' original compositions, "Concerto for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra" and "Four Tone Poems for Jazz Quintet and Orchestra" in addition to a new adaptation of Giacomo Puccini’s "E Lucevan le Stelle" from his opera "Tosca" and a medley of classic Nelson Riddle arrangements from the Ella Fitzgerald Gershwin Songbook. Featured soloists included pianist Willie Pickens, saxophonist Ari Brown and vocalist Dee Alexander. This concert was made possible by the generous support of the Boeing Company and the City of Chicago.