Orbert Davis

Orbert indicated he had been feverishly working on new material for his upcoming "From Ella to Mandella" Concert with his 60-plus piece Chicago Jazz Philharmonic that will be held at the Auditorium Theater downtown Chicago on March 11th.

On this occasion, Orbert was joined by a world class group including Stew Miller on bass, Ryan Cohan on keyboard, Ari Brown on tenor sax and Ernie Adams on drums. Young alto saxophonist Rajiv Halim Orozco jammed with the band during the 2nd and 3rd sets. Orozco is a student of Orbert at the University of Illinois at Chicago where all band members are instructors.

Davis stated their performance would consist primarily of timeless classic standards in order that he could "rest his brain" from the written page that he had recently been working on. From the opening Miles Davis composition "Nardis," it became apparent that this evening of stellar jazz would not be a "one man show." Orbert's an equal opportunity employer who insist on "spreading the wealth" amongst all participants. This technique gave all a chance to spread their wings on this opening number.

By the time the band completed its second number, "What is This Thing Called Love," the master on percussion, Ernie Adams was already soaking wet from perspiration as a result of his rapid fire action. This would be Ernie's theme as he repeatedly excited the crowd with his fleet-fingered drumming on song after song. Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" brought out the best in "Professor" Adams, as he engaged in an all out assault on the skins that climaxed the first set, resulting in a spontaneous standing ovation from the overflow crowd. Maestro Davis also held his own on this number with some fast, bright triple note flourishes.

Southside legend Ari Brown displayed his passionate playing - particularly on "Blue Monk," as he "scatted" his unique voice through his horn to the delight of his fans. Ari is one of the few Chicagoans capable of playing and "scatting" simultaneously.

Young phenom Orozco took advantage of his opportunity for a live "exam" as he joined his professors for the opening number during the 2nd set on "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise." All horns alternated exchanging phrases during this song with all blasting away in unison at the conclusion. The young man received an "A" from maestro Davis for his contribution.

Keyboardist Cohan had one of his many fine moments on a bluesy version of "Squeeze Me Baby, Don't Tease Me." He's so talented and under appreciated in the Chicago Jazz scene, but quite capable of ripping off rapid lines with repeated licks, while maintaining thoughtful, creative, single notes with his right hand. Ari again excelled on this number with a slow burn building up to a climatic finish as Orbert contributed a sweet muted sound with his trumpet.

They concluded the 2nd set with Adams solo intro of "Caravan." This was another highlight as all were showcased on this number. Of course, Brown continued in his "zone" with some masterful improvisational playing. Cohan also demonstrated his dexterity with both hands with a brilliant solo. He was all over the keyboard. Bassist Miller, steady all evening, also stood out on this tune.

The short 3rd set featured young Orozco, as Maestro Davis sat out this set, but not before donating the bands proceeds from the evening back to the Hyde Park Jazz Society. What a heartfelt touch from truly a sincere humanitarian.

Don't miss Orbert and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic at the Auditorium Theater on March 11 and for future Hyde Park Jazz Society events, refer to their website at www.hydeparkjazzsociety.org.