Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra

"JAZZ goes to CHURCH!"
presented by Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra
featuring Critically-Acclaimed Pianist, Robert Glasper and Vocalist, Kevin Mahogany

This clubhouse revival draws concert goers from all walks and brims over with passion and spiritual uplift as World Class Artists, Robert Glasper and Kevin Mahogany, join the vibrant and youthful 19-piece Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra, to take the infectious gospel of swing into venues throughout the US and abroad!

Jazz Goes To Church aims to consummate the marriage of the two disparate genres with a hard-swingin', foot-stompin' crescendo of jubilation!

The courtship between jazz and gospel music traditions has been incubating in the periphery of public curiosity for some time now. Pioneers like Duke Ellington and Contemporaries like Kirk Whalum have testified about this compatible union through some of their most celebrated musical works in styles coined as 'sacred music' and 'gospel jazz'. Jazz Goes To Church aims to consummate the marriage of the two disparate genres with a hard-swingin', foot-stompin' crescendo of jubilation! This clubhouse revival showcases New Life's spirited and uninhibited performance style with the blaring of brass instruments-call-and-response-like big-band arrangements-soul-stirring vocals-and engaging solos and shouts on swingin' versions of gospel tunes like "Wade in the Water" and "Joshua Fit the Battle". Bandleader, Kendrick Oliver, who is being wooed by national fame with a host of prestigious appearances ahead, keeps it all in perspective. " I want to swing like Count Basie and have the impact of Mahalia Jackson - and Jazz Goes to Church is a vehicle I am going to use to do so."

Kendrick Oliver, photo by George Valentine

Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra Presents
Sing, Swing, Stomp, Shout! The Art of Big Band Performance Clinic

CLINIC OUTLINE:

I. Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra open clinic with a powerful performance of a Big Band arrangement.
II. Introduction of New Life Jazz Orchestra members by Kendrick Oliver and summary of his vision for the group.

a. How an education at Berklee has impacted his musical life.

III. Kendrick shares his songwriting and arranging influences.

a. Similarities and differences in the arranging styles of each composer/arranger.

b. How he has pulled from these influences to enhance his own music.

IV. Performance & Analysis of 3 big band arrangements w/ written outline for audience to follow along:

a. What makes each song special?

b. Spotlight on arrangement techniques used in each song.

c. Questions and answers taken by audience members.

(Note: Songs/arrangements to consist of an old cover to feature instrumentalists; an original big band piece; an arrangement to feature vocalist.)

V. Application of Performance/Arranging Techniques.

a. Plan A: If school has a student big band, an arrangement of “Shiny Stockings” will be forwarded ahead of time to the program director for students to perform for Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra and to receive constructive feedback.

b. Plan B: If school does not have a student big band, New Life will invite advanced student musicians to solo with a small combo contrived out of the big band. New Life members will critique high school musicians on their solo performance and improvisational skills, point out strengths and weaknesses, and offer pointers on how these students can further develop their skills.

... humbly commit their own spirited musical perspectives as seeds to be planted in tribute to this timely resurrection..

Swingin' the Blues: Basie and Beyond:

Celebrating Count Basie and the Kansas City Sound featuring Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra with renowned Jazz vocalist, Kevin Mahogany

Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra is proud to present a unique and historic touring jazz program that is certain to stir excitement in audiences of all ages and creeds, and catalyst a heightened interest in the jazz tradition from mainstream pop culture. Paying homage to the "King of Swing", Count Basie, and the Kansas City Sound, this passionate and high-energy performance program will complement the line-up of any performance venue and leave the crowds begging for more! Even the most stoic jazz enthusiast will find it difficult to remain politely seated for this riveting musical experience; for the music presented in this concert will surely foster a celebration of the energy, joy, and passion of the Swing Era, and pay historic reverence to Count Basie and his Orchestra, and the Kansas City Sound.

Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra and Kevin Mahogany, in kindred communion, join forces to unveil the sacred treasures of Count Basie and the Kansas City Sound and humbly commit their own spirited musical perspectives as seeds to be planted in tribute to this timely resurrection. Performing timeless arrangements most signature of this Era, New Life will render attendees nothing less than a blow-the-rooftop caliber experience. Click on the title to preview familiar tunes, "The Comeback" and "Jumpin at the Woodside", as performed by Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra.

THE COMEBACK

The Comeback is a mid-tempo Frank Foster dirty blues swing arrangement made famous by the Count Basie Orchestra featuring Joe Williams. Impeccably arranged with heavy brass and a joot-joint-type style, this high energy blues sums up the Kansas City Sound in a nutshell, and features lovely New Life vocalist, Monica Lynk, in show-stopping grandeur and elegance.

JUMPIN AT THE WOODSIDE

"Jumpin' at the Woodside" is an up-tempo signature Basie composition that has been recorded on several albums by various artists. Although this composition is most familiarized by three solos recorded by Eddie "LockJaw" Davis, Frank Wess and Frank Foster, Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra add a bit of new life flavor to the arrangement with a heart-wrenching tenor saxophone battle from members of his saxophone section.

KENDRICK OLIVER & THE NEW LIFE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Kendrick Oliver

...Said to be "one of the best big bands on the planet" (Christian McBride)...

This youthful, vibrant and energetic 19-piece orchestra has been captivating audiences, selling out concerts, and turning heads throughout the jazz scene since its inception in 1995. Under the musical direction of 27-year old Conductor, Arranger and Tubist Kendrick Oliver, the group combines Basie-style swing, foot-stompin, head-bobbin arrangements with high-powered rhythms, an unrestrained brass section, elegant vocals and a talented assortment of spectacular soloists to produce its infectious sound - and nothing less than a swing, sing, stomp, shout experience. The group earned instant respect throughout the New England Jazz community when well-known musicians from around the country flocked to join the band for jam sessions and concert appearances. National recognition soon followed with the aid of various honors and credits including: an Emmy-Award-Winning portrayal of the Duke Ellington Orchestra on the PBS's Duke Ellington Centennial; a performance appearance at the International Association of Jazz Educators (Chicago); and an 3-song appearance on Summa Cum Jazz, a CD compilation distributed by BMG's Jazz Foundations Label, which Downbeat Magazine singled out and praised. Said to be "one of the best big bands on the planet" (Christian McBride), New Life has featured Grammy-Award-Winning Trumpeters

Kevin Mahogany

...Kevin has made breathtaking breakthroughs in style and sounds that re-directed, redefined and even reinvented jazz music, without ever losing touch with the essentials...

Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton, Grammy-Nominated Bassist Christian McBride; Vocal Extraordinaire, Kevin Mahogany; Saxophonists Walter Beasley, Billy Pierce, Javon Jackson and Teodross Avery; and pianist Jason Moran. Additionally, some of its core members, Jimmy "Colossus" Green (RCA Recording Artist), Jeremy Pelt, Jason "Muffin Man" Anderson, Tyrone "Rib Tip" Chase, Charles "Dawg" Haynes and Andre Hayward also frequently moonlights with notables such as Harry Connick Jr., Horace Silver, Illinois Jacquet, Walter Beasley, Kevin Mahogany, Christian McBride, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, among others.

KEVIN MAHOGANY

Kevin Mahogany picks up where Joe Williams, Billy Eckstine and Mel Torme left off. This Kansas City born jazz vocalist grew up within the city's rich jazz heritage, so it is no surprise that his music has helped to expand, enhance and bring new meaning to the standard jazz repertoire. As a young male jazz vocalist, Kevin Mahogany is a rare commodity, but among that group, he is rarer still - comfortable with a range that encompasses Memphis R&B, Motown, gospel and jazz. Kevin moves effortlessly between musical genres, incorporating elements of one to enhance the essence of the other. "The standout jazz vocalist of his generation." (Newsweek) When Kevin Mahogany first burst onto the international jazz scene, it was a sound that was both traditionally grounded and boldly innovative. The result brought a much-needed change to the contemporary jazz landscape. Simply put, over the course of his career, Kevin has made breathtaking breakthroughs in style and sounds that re-directed, redefined and even reinvented jazz music, without ever losing touch with the essentials.

Over the years, the vocalist has released such acclaimed albums as his self-titled debut, Kevin Mahogany (1996), Another Time, Another Place (1997), My Romance (1998) and a collection, Portrait of Kevin Mahogany (2000) with another release scheduled for Spring 2002. Together they comprise a body of work that has earned an ecstatic response from both critics and audiences. The New Yorker declared, "There is little Mahogany cannot do." The Los Angeles Times considers Mahogany "One of the first truly gifted male vocalists to emerge in years."