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Orbert Davis

Sketches Of Spain

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Orbert Davis' Chicago Jazz Philharmonc Chamber Ensemble Sketches excerpt
From 'North Shore Center for Performing Arts' / November 2011
1 Concierto de Aranjuez
2 Muerte del Matador
3 El Moreno
4 El Albaicin
5 Solea
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The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, celebrating its upcoming tenth anniversary year, releases its second full-length album, Sketches Of Spain [Revisited], an orchestral transformation of the 1960 iconic original by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. For this reinterpretation of the 1960 classic recording, CJP artistic director and composer Orbert Davis created two new compositions, incorporated traditional African and Middle Eastern instruments, and made numerous modifications in ensemble orchestration.  The result is an intimate yet powerful performance that transports the listener to a different world.

"If you're going to reconceptualize a work as iconic as Sketches Of Spain – daring to change the original instrumentation, and even to replace some movements with new compositions – you'd better do one spectacular job of it. Orbert Davis has dared, and succeeded."  Neil Tesser, Grammy-Award Winning Jazz Journalist Davis' involvement with Sketches Of Spain began in the 1990's when, as a trumpeter in Bill Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble, he was asked to perform the solo trumpet part originally played by Miles Davis (no relation). A particular challenge was to disregard the expectations of some purists that the original performance would be re-created.  "However," Orbert notes, "What Miles played is not intended to be duplicated. Miles reached past the technical aspects of his instrument and played from the depths of his soul.  I took that approach to freely create during the improvised sections."  
 

  • A jazzy good time with Orbert Davis at 'The Jazz and Family Festival' / Daily Journal
    Posted At: July 23, 2024 12:00 AM
    Emmy-Award winning trumpeter, composer and educator Orbert Davis is co-founder, conductor and artistic director of Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP), a 55+ piece symphonic jazz orchestra dedicated to bringing together audiences of diverse backgrounds through multi-genre projects. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Davis’ mission-driven career has evolved successfully from ‘making it in the music industry’ to being a...
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  • Don't miss these shows at 40th Jazz Fest / Chicago Tribune
    Posted At: August 21, 2018 12:00 AM

    The Chicago Jazz Festival stretches out this year, in more ways than one. For starters, several free shows - underwritten by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and presented in conjunction with Chicago clubs and concert halls - will start Saturday. The idea is to attract audiences to the city's vibrant jazz scene. In addition, ticketed concerts at the Harris Theater for Music an...
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  • Orbert Davis explores 'Chicago Immigrant Stories' / Chicago Tribune
    Posted At: June 6, 2018 12:00 AM

    Jazz long has been at the forefront of social change in America. So perhaps it should have come as no surprise that when Chicago trumpeter Orbert Davis learned of President Donald Trump's executive order banning refugees from predominantly Muslim countries, Davis had to protest. He did so on Facebook by "talking about my musical friends," remembers the musician. "I have friends who were the first to ...
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  • Orbert Davis & Chicago JPCE - Sketches of Spain / Chicago Tribune review
    Posted At: August 13, 2014 12:00 AM

    Chicago jazz musicians have been creating exotic worlds of sound on record during the past several months, and a few stand out for inventiveness and originality. Chicago Tribune A/E&M writer Howard Reich reviewed the latest CD from Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble. A new version of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans Classic: Sketches of Spain. No one in Americ...
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  • Orbert Davis - Sketches of Spain / Classical Candor review
    Posted At: July 29, 2014 12:00 AM

    In 1959-60 jazz great Miles Davis and arranger/composer Gil Evans made an unusual album for the day titled Sketches of Spain. Combining jazz, classical, and world music, the album confused some of Davis's fans, with many critics of the time claiming it wasn't jazz at all. Yet the recording went on to become one of the best-selling "jazz" albums of all time. Davis merely said, "It's music, and...
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  • Orbert Davis - Sketches of Spain / Audiophile Audition review
    Posted At: July 24, 2014 12:00 AM

    The first of this pair of reconceptualizations of classic works of the past is an orchestral transformation of the 1960 Columbia recording by Miles and Gil Evans which used music of Rodrigo and others.  There have been a number of re-dos of that great album, including one of much of it by Miles himself shortly before his death. The trumpeter, composer and artistic director of the Chicago Jazz Philha...
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  • Orbert Davis - Sketches of Spain / AXS review
    Posted At: July 20, 2014 12:00 AM

    There was a lyric from a Three Dog Night song that said; I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the music. On their latest CD, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic under the direction of conductor/trumpeter Orbert Davis takes us on a musical journey through Spain. This project Sketches of Spain is based on the classic recording by trumpeter Miles Davis and Gil Evans. The music was composed, adapted and ...
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