Aardvark Jazz Orchestra 39th Christmas Concert to Honor Kip Tiernan Dec 10 Emmanuel Church Boston

Nov. 26, 2011 - PRLog -- The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra will present its 39th Annual Christmas Concert, a Boston holiday tradition, on Saturday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m, at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston.  The band will play updated arrangements of carols and music in the spirit of the season by founder/director Mark Harvey.  Selections will include The Shepherd's Carol by William Billings, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (words by Longfellow, written during the Civil War), and Harvey’s piece The Prophet, a tonal portrait of the late Kip Tiernan (1926-2011),founder of Rosie's Place, Poor People’s United Fund, and other organizations.  The concert will benefit the work of the Poor People’s United Fund, in honor of Kip.

The Poor Peoples United Fund was founded in 1980 by Kip Tiernan and Fran Froehlich to advocate for social change on behalf of the poor and homeless.  PPUF provides direct financial and support services to small grassroots member organizations; emergency assistance to individuals and families in need of food, housing, and health care; and research, analysis, education and advocacy for more enlightened and just social policies.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra held its first concert December 23, 1973, at the Church of the Covenant in Boston as a benefit for the Chelsea Fire Fund.  Every year since then, the band has given a Christmas concert to support a deserving cause.  Past beneficiaries have included Doctors Without Borders, American Friends Service Committee, Rosie’s Place, Pine Street Inn, Streetpeople Unlimited, and the homeless outreach programs of Emmanuel Church
 
With wide-ranging performances in festivals, churches, concert halls, colleges and universities, The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra has been a major force in the international jazz scene for almost 40 years.  Winner of the 2000 Independent Music Awards, the band is known for its exhilarating concerts spanning the jazz spectrum, from original works by founder/music director Mark Harvey to the music of Duke Ellington and other jazz greats, to performances with film, dance, poetry, concert choirs and symphony orchestras.  Aardvark has premiered more than 130 works for jazz orchestra and has released 10 CDs to critical acclaim, including 5 discs on the Leo Records label.  Guest artists who have appeared with Aardvark include Sheila Jordan, Dominique Eade, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Giuffre, Geri Allen, Jay Clayton, Robert Honeysucker, Walter Thompson, Rajesh Mehta, Paul Lovens, and Harvie Swartz.

Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey has performed as trumpeter in the U.S., Mexico and Europe; has recorded with George Russell (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey (Arista/Novus); and performed with Gil Evans, Claudio Roditi, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, Joe Carroll, Kenny Dorham and others.  He has received awards and commissions from ASCAP, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the 15th Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, the MIT Wind Ensemble and Meet-the-Composer-Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest Commissioning Program, among others.  Commissions have featured such notables as Joe Lovano, Steve Turre, Herb Pomeroy and Ran Blake. Dr. Harvey has lectured widely on music, religion and culture, with a specialty in the sacred music of Duke Ellington.  He is a United Methodist minister and teaches jazz studies at MIT.  

Emmanuel Episcopal Church has served as a center for spiritual discovery and an advocate for social justice over the past 150 years.  The church welcomes all people without exception to the Eucharistic table, and honors individuals of every age, gender, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, and religious background.  With its partners Boston Jewish Spirit and Emmanuel Music, Inc., Emmanuel Church explores and celebrates our common spiritual heritage through liturgy, social action, music and the arts.   The church is known for its extensive jazz programs and has hosted more than 25 of Aardvark’s annual Christmas concerts.

THE AARDVARK JAZZ ORCHESTRA is managed exclusively by AMERICAS MUSICWORKS, Rebecca DeLamotte, managing director, 617-776-8778.  Email:  delamotte-amw@comcast.net  Visit:  www.americasmusicworks.com or www.aardvarkjazz.com

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Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, managing director, is an artist management company representing award-winning chamber music and jazz ensembles that offer concerts for large and small venues, multi-media performances, creative residencies, and custom recording projects. Themes range widely from European masters to Great American Songbook, from historical performance to new music premieres, from jazz standards to the avant-garde. Our mission is to deliver distinctive programs and world-class performance to build and energize audiences. Every client receives personal attention and close communication, to ensure a smooth working relationship. We also provide expert PR support to complement and enhance each presenter’s efforts.