The 13th annual Englewood Jazz Festival will take place on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 in Hamilton Park, 12- 6pm, rain or shine.

Live The Spirit Residency is pleased to announce the program for the 13th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival, in order of appearance.

Bill McFarland & The Chicago Horns (12 noon)

Building on the legacies of both the Jazztet and the Jazz Messengers, the hard swinging and improvisationally adventurous Chicago Horns have been praised by The Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich. “This band’s taut rhythms, its front line’s muscular quality, and its rhythm section’s aggressiveness makes The Chicago Horns sound more like a small jazz symphony… One of the most viscerally exciting Chicago jazz bands to come along in years!”

June Yvon (1:30)

A versatile and charismatic vocalist, June Yvonne treats listeners to a repertoire of well-loved tunes, uniquely interpreted in her inimitable style. She is a master of shaping a lyric and interpreting a melody, while also possessing a fresh approach to scat singing. Known for her weekly engagement at City Life, Yvonne is supported here by a dynamic rhythm section whose creative interplay and sensitive accompaniment amplify Yvonne’s artistry.

Ernest Dawkins Afro/ Straight Quartet with Special Guest  Maurice Brown (3:00)

Celebrating the release of Dawkins’ latest album on Delmark Records, this group offers a repertoire of standards and classic jazz compositions of the 1940′s, 1950′s, and 1960′s, skillfully interpreted and uniquely performed. Joined onstage by guest Maurice Brown on trumpet, as well as Steve Berry on trombone, the group is supported by the fiery rhythm section of pianist Willerm Delisfort, bassist Junuis Paul, and drummer Isaiah Spencer. As critic Neil Teser writes in liner notes to Dawkins’ new album, “The unexpected marriage of these musicians with this material lies at the heart of Afro-Straight. It promises a creative friction, involving form and function, that engages a standard storyline of modern jazz.”

Presentation of the Spirit of Jazz Award (4:30)

This year we honor two individuals whose legacies of service, initiative, and accomplishment continue to inspire and impact our lives.

Vocalist, theatrical artist, and jazz promoter Geraldine DeHass achieved international acclaim singing in the jazz vocal group Andy Bey and the Bey Sisters, artistic renown in numerous theatrical productions during the 1970′s and 1980′s, and in 1983, she presented the first Jazzfest at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago, which continues on to this day.

Scholar, educator, and civil rights activist Timuel Black is one of the foremost historians of black Chicago and a tireless crusader for social justice. He helped establish the Congress of Racial Equality and United Packinghouse Workers of America and his two volume Bridges of Memory: Chicago’s First Wave of Great Migration documents the experience and stories of both well known and unsung individuals. A long time lover and advocate for jazz, Black’s life and work reveals for us the deep connections between musical and social life on the southside.

Live the Spirit Big Band with Special Guest Maurice Brown (4:45)

Working under the artistic direction of Ernest Dawkins, the residency Big Band was founded along with the festival in 2000. Here they present a repertoire of original music which remains deeply rooted in the history and present of the Englewood community, and showcases the energy and spirit of some of Chicago’s finest young professional musicians. Grammy Award winning trumpet sensation Maurice Brown returns to Chicago, contributing his virtuosity and melodic fire to the band, which also includes tenor saxophonist Kevin Nabors, alto saxophonist Rajiv Halim, baritone saxophonist Aaron Getsug, trombonist Steve Berry, pianist Willerm Delisfort, bassist Junius Paul, drummer Isaiah Spencer, and many more.

Since 1999, the Englewood Jazz Festival has been proud to welcome these incredible musicians to our stage: Oliver Lake, Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Anderson, Jimmy Ellis, Von Freeman, George Freeman, Ari Brown, Malachi Thompson, Houston Person, Tatsu Aioki, Willie Pickens, Delfeayo Marsalis, Dee Alexander, Muntu Dance Theater, Maurice Brown, Nicole Mitchell, Corey Wilkes, Greg Ward, Zim Ngqawana, Moreira Conquica, Feya Faku, Maggie Brown, and The Live the Spirit Big Band.