Africa Brown

Africa Brown shared personal reflections and songs related to the legendary Oscar Brown, Jr. They honored their father faithfully in songs such as “Dat Dere”, “Work Song” and “A String Man”. Their harmonies meshed beautifully with the tight band, featuring young trumpeter Corey Wilkes, who is making quite an impact on the Chicago jazz scene. In fact, he was outstanding with Roscoe Mitchell in one of the After-Fest sessions at the Hothouse; a performance of raw power and emotion.
The best performances belonged to the big stars of the lineup. Lee Konitz and his nonet performed subtle and gorgeous arrangements; one of the highlights was a scorching version of “Chromatically the Blues”. Konitz lent his beautiful tone as a guest during Joe Lovano’s set the night before, performing “All the Things You Are” with a hip and tender touch. In tribute to Miles’ Birth of the Cool (on which Konitz originally played), Joe Lovano’s band swung effortlessly through “Boplicity” and “Move”. Lovano was all class, stating the importance of the musical contributions of John Hicks and Dewey Redman (who died the previous day) and his band burned on all cylinders in the original “The Deal”. Steve Slagle played a particularly memorable solo on alto sax and Lovano brought it home with fiery passion on both his tunes and in arrangements made famous by Gunther Schuller, from the original Birth of the Cool sessions.

Brown, Maggie
Chicago native Maggie Brown studied music, theater and voice at Columbia College Chicago. She has performed both locally and nationally in her dynamic one-woman-show, LEGACY: Our Wealth of Music; which is a musical demonstration/lecture about the history and evolution of African-American music. Brown assisted the Chicago House of Blues in the development of its Blues Schoolhouse student outreach program. She has served as consultant and artist-in-residence for The Ravinia Festival's Education Department.
In 1995, Maggie launched her own independent label, Mag Pie Records. Her debut recording, From My Window, was nominated by the Chicago Music Awards for Best Jazz CD. Brown also can be heard on duet recordings with Abbey Lincoln and Jonathan Butler. Mag Pie Records released a live concert recording of Maggie and her legendary father, Oscar Brown, Jr. November 2002. The CD is titled: We're Live and was recorded at the Hot House (Center for International performance and Exhibition).
Currently Maggie is working with the Great Black Music Project at Northeastern Illinois University, Center for Inner City Studies and she will begin teaching at Columbia College Chicago this spring 2005.
Quotes about "LEGACY: Our Wealth Of Music"
– "This was an assembly of immense educational value. "—Dr. DeWitt Reed/ Marie Murphy School
– "Fantastic!....The audience was spellbound. "--B. J. Murrain/ Carnegie Elementary "The instruction was clear and concise, the enthusiasm it generated tremendous. "
– —H. L. Hawkins/ Triumphant Charter School "Your eloquence and enthusiasm for arts education was invigorating. "
– —L. Siegel/ Dept. of Cultural Affairs