Aardvark Jazz Orchestra 53rd Season Opener at Arts at the Armory

Called “stunningly beautiful” (The New York City Jazz Record) and “spellbinding” (The Boston Globe), The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra will open its 53rd season with an exhilarating show called No Walls, Jazz Beyond Category. JazzTimes praised Aardvark’s “lush sonorities and a saxophonic blend worthy of Ellington’s finest reed sections,” while Jazz Podium (Germany) called Aardvark “one of the best jazz ensembles in the world.”

The show on September 9, inspired by Duke Ellington’s credo to move “beyond category” in music and life, features wide-ranging music by Ellington and Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey. ...

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Called “stunningly beautiful” (The New York City Jazz Record) and “spellbinding” (The Boston Globe), The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra will open its 53rd season with an exhilarating show called No Walls, Jazz Beyond Category. JazzTimes praised Aardvark’s “lush sonorities and a saxophonic blend worthy of Ellington’s finest reed sections,” while Jazz Podium (Germany) called Aardvark “one of the best jazz ensembles in the world.”

The show on September 9, inspired by Duke Ellington’s credo to move “beyond category” in music and life, features wide-ranging music by Ellington and Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey.

The venue will feature a cash bar with beer, wine and a curated bar menu including dinner and snacks. Front section cabaret tables are available, as well as standard theater seating. Free parking is offered behind the venue and in a nearby overflow lot (first come, first served).

More about the show: Duke Ellington’s work, “It’s Freedom” (1968), evokes the larger Civil Rights struggle and the powerful Freedom Songs of the 1960s. Duke’s “Chinoiserie,” from The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse Suite, reflects his vision of cross-cultural exchange. Aardvark commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of America with the premiere of Mark Harvey’s arrangement of “Chester” by Revolutionary War-era Boston composer William Billings. The Billings piece (1770), widely recognized as an anthem of the struggle for independence, finds new meaning in Harvey’s arrangement, celebrating freedom and democracy today. The concert finale is Mark Harvey’s “No Walls,” an exotic, multi-layered suite that moves through many styles to a vibrant expression of inclusivity inspired by Ellington’s protégé the South African musician Abdullah Ibrahim.

This concert is made possible by a Project Grant from the Somerville Arts Council and the Mass Cultural Council, and with support from Arts at the Armory POP. POP (Performance Opportunity Program) is a signature program of the Center for Arts at the Armory, offering assistance to artists and cultural workers.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is managed by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, director, email [email protected] and telephone 617-947-5548.

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