 On June 23, a group of musicians gathered at The Jazz Showcase to celebrate the life and music of Charles Mingus, and to benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation. Mingus, an American musical hero who died of ALS, is one of the greatest figures in jazz history. His bass playing, compositions and philosophy have transcended his genre and left indelible marks on music history. MAPtet Paul Hartsaw -- tenor saxophone Jon Hey -- piano Raphael Crawford -- trombone Dan Godston -- trumpet Fred Jackson -- alto saxophone Jon Godston -- soprano saxophone Tom Berg -- baritone saxophone Cory Biggerstaff -- upright bass Brian Jones -- drums MAPtet performed music by Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Billy Strayhorn, and Eric Dolphy, as well as a composition by Jon Hey which was composed especially for the occasion -- 1st set: "Jelly Roll" by Charles Mingus “Peggy’s Blue Skylight" by Charles Mingus “E’s Flat, Ah’s Flat Too" by Charles Mingus “Petite Fleur Africaine" by Duke Ellington “Nostalgia in Times Square” by Charles Mingus medley with “Isfahan” (by Billy Strayhorn, arr. Jon Hey) and “Gazzelloni” (by Eric Dolphy) “Charlies’ Arch Isle" by Jon Hey “Better Get Hit in Your Soul” by Charles Mingus
2nd set: “Fables of Faubus” by Charles Mingus “Reincarnation of a Lovebird" by Charles Mingus “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” by Charles Mingus, arr. Sy Johnson “Ecclusiastics” by Charles Mingus “Portrait of Those Beautiful Ladies" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk “Haitian Fight Song” by Charles Mingus (Click on the song titles to listen to the recordings.) You can still donate to the Les Turner ALS Foundation / Mingus Awareness Project 2010 by clicking here. Mingus Awareness Project 2010 was a success, and we would like to thank everyone involved who helped to make it happen. We would like to thank the Les Turner ALS Foundation for partnering with us again this year. Thanks to the Jazz Showcase for allowing us to have the event happen there, to the audience for coming out to listen to the music and to support the cause, and to the MAPtet musicians who volunteered their time and effort during the concert and in preparation of the event. Thanks also to the following individuals and organizations that donated items which were used during the raffle part of the event: Sue Graham Mingus and the Jazz Workshop Inc., Reckless Records, Myopic Books, Old Town School of Folk Music, Peterson Picture Co., Dusty Groove America, Digital Hub, Chicago Touch, and Sultan's Market. All proceeds went to benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation. One special aspect of the event was the fact that it happened at the Jazz Showcase. Charles Mingus and his band performed at the Jazz Showcase, when it was located on Rush St. in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. The Jazz Showcase is now located in at 806 S. Plymouth Court / Dearborn Station, in Chicago's historic Printer's Row. Mingus
Awareness Project was organized by the Borderbend Arts
Collective, in partnership with the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The
Borderbend
Arts Collective is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to promote
the
arts, to create opportunities for artists to explore new directions in
and
between art forms, and to engage the community. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease for the New York Yankees baseball icon, is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that causes atrophy throughout the body, ultimately leading to total paralysis. Brain cells cease sending messages to muscles, which slowly prohibits patients’ movement and their ability to communicate. Onset commonly occurs between ages 35 to 65, and is slightly more prevalent in men. There is currently no cure for ALS, but treatment and interventions can help alleviate some symptoms, improve quality of life and prolong survival by delaying respiratory failure. The clinical progression can vary widely; however, patients typically live with the disease two to five years after the onset of symptoms. ALS knows no racial, cultural or socioeconomic boundaries and follows no pattern. The Les Turner ALS Foundation, founded in 1977 is recognized internationally and is the only independent publicly supported non-profit organization in the Chicago-area devoted solely to the treatment and elimination of ALS. The Foundation is affiliated with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine where it supports a large multidisciplinary clinical program and two world-class scientific research laboratories. The Foundation’s comprehensive patient services include support group meetings; professional in-home consultation services; communications and durable medical equipment programs; respite care grants; and educational programs. |