| portoluz’ monthly showcase of outstanding jazz performances continues in July with The Deep Tones Trio.The Trio is under the baton of Ernest Khabeer Dawkins who will be visiting Lakeside fresh from his appearance at the Kinshasa, Congo Jazz festival, July 29, at 4 p.m., at The Lakeside Inn.For more information, call (269) 469-0600. For directions to the Lakeside Inn: www.lakesideinns.com.Tickets are $15.
THE DEEP TONES TRIO
Ernest Dawkins Saxes and percussion, Justin Thomas Vibes, Jumaane Taylor Tapdance
About Ernest Dawkins
One of the life goals of Ernest Dawkins, is for his music and compositions to reflect the evolving collective cultural memory of the American jazz aesthetic. Dawkins is one of the world’s premiere saxophonists and composers. He is an entrepreneur with years of experience working with new media technologies to produce and promote his work and that of the jazz community online and in digital venues. He is leader of several ensembles, including the New Horizons Ensemble, Aesop Quartet, Chicago Trio, Live the Spirit Big Band, and the Chicago 12. He is also a member of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
Dawkins started his musical journey at the tender age of eight, when he learned how to play the bass and conga drums. At nineteen, he became mesmerized by the sound of the saxophone while listening to his father’s jazz recordings of Lester Young. It was not until he heard the alto sax of Guido Sinclair, however, that he knew this was the instrument he wanted to play. Within a week, he had purchased his first saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Two weeks later, Dawkins got his first lesson from members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). From there, his illustrious career in music began.
Dawkins was named ‘Chicagoan of the Year’ twice by the Chicago Tribune, Dawkins established The Englewood Jazz Festival, now in its 11th year and founded Live The Spirit Residency, a not-for-profit arts organization committed to improving access to creative and improvised music for under-served communities within the city of Chicago.
He has created commissioned works for the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Sons d’Hiver Festival, Banliues Bleues Festival, the Jazz Institute of Chicago, and the King Arts Complex of Columbus Ohio. Dawkins is an active member in the local arts community and is former Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative MusiciThe “ballroom” of the historic Lakeside Inn is a mid-size wooden room filled with arts and crafts era antiques. The ballroom looks out over Lake Michigan and in this cozy and informal setting, the performance unfolds. The magic of the environment, the virtuosity of the musicians, the intimacy of the performance and the natural acoustics of the wooden room conspire to create a deeply meditative experience. Jazz on a Summers Day is underwritten in part by The Pokagon Fund.
Veteran impresaria Marguerite Horberg owned the fabled nightclub HotHouse in Chicago for many years. HotHouse was one of the world’s premiere stages for Jazz and eclectic contemporary cultural expression. Now Horberg and her new company, portoluz are bringing the same top talent to Harbor Country in a special all-acoustic program. This seasonal series of sophisticated artistry is designed to be unfettered by commercial distractions -making the Lakeside Inn a perfect spot for artistic discovery and adventure.
“Crisp dappled sunlight falling on stray notes, lazy phrasing, a serious music lover’s idyll”.
Featured in this year’s season are some of the music world’s most treasured creative artists. While each performance on the bill is uniquely representative of the genre -jazz/creative improvised music, altogether and over the years, dedicated audiences can appreciate the comprehensive language of the improviser and how the music is continually being advanced through contemporary exploration. In fact, the point of the series is to take audience members on a journey through modern music and provide opportunities to experience art that they might not otherwise have access to.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Jazz on a Summer’s Day presents uncompromising jazz and creative improvised music (and more) in an idyllic rural setting perched on the shores of Lake Michigan. The series Jazz on a Summer’s Day presented by portoluz is a chance to encounter some of the world’s most innovative and compelling artists in a seductive arts-centric and semi-rural environment- a perfect place for deep listening and untrammeled creativity.
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