Legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra to Perform April 29 at MIT Cambridge, Premieres by Mark Harvey

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - April 16, 2017 - PRLog -- The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra will continue its historic 44th season with a show on MIT's mainstage, Kresge Auditorium, Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8:00 pm, free admission, sponsored by MIT Music and Theater Arts. Information: 617 776 8778.  Aadvark has been called "stunningly beautiful" (New York City Jazz Record) and hailed for "expansive harmony, brilliant music... discipline, openness, and freedom" (CultureJazz.Fr - France).

The April 29 concert, called Democratic Vistas?, will celebrate Duke Ellington's birthday (April 29, 1899) by honoring his tradition of "social significance" compositions.   Works by Mark Harvey in this vein will include Boston Boy (for the late Nat Hentoff), the premiere of Main Man for noted impresario Fred Taylor, and first performances of contemporary tone-parallels such as Fake News Blewz, Swamp-a-Rama, and Waltz of the Oligarchs.   In addition, the band will perform the premiere of Harvey's piece Studio Four in honor of the late Steve Schwartz, beloved radio host of WGBH Jazz from Studio Four.  Also on the program:  a reading from Walt Whitman's Democratic Vistas, and a performance of Harvey's No Walls, an anthem of hope and inclusivity. The April 29 event is part of Jazz Boston's Jazz Week, with this year's theme of Thank You Fred Taylor.

Visit Aardvark at http://www.aardvarkjazz.com and http://www.americasmusicworks.com/aardvark-jazz-orchestra...

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, founded in 1973 and now celebrating its 44th season, is one of the longest continuously operating large jazz ensembles in the world. The orchestra has premiered more than 175 works and appears on 14 CDs, including 8 on the Leo Records label.  Guest artists have included luminaries Sheila Jordan, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Giuffre, Geri Allen, Dominique Eade, Vinny Golia, Robert Honeysucker, Rajesh Mehta, Lewis Porter, Matt Savage, and Walter Thompson.

Aardvark is: Arni Cheatham, Peter Bloom, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; Bob Pilkington, Jay Keyser/trombones; Jeff Marsanskis, Bill Lowe/bass trombones, tuba; Richard Nelson/guitar; John Funkhouser/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, vocalists; Mark Harvey/trumpet, music director.

Americas Musicworks, management for The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Rebecca DeLamotte, telephone:   617 776 8778, email:  delamotte-amw at comcast dot net