Fine & Performing Arts

North Central College offers an exciting opportunity to experience Chicago jazz dance at its best when the Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave..

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago is the original jazz dance company, founded in 1963 by legendary dancer and choreographer Gus Giordano. Now under the direction of Nan Giordano, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago has brought the excitement of American jazz dancing to audiences worldwide. Continually expanding the boundaries of jazz dance while diversifying the repertoire, the group has received critical acclaim for its new works. It serves as host performing company at each summer’s Jazz Dance World Congress, which has been held at the Kennedy Center and other noted venues. In 2004 the company received a Chicago Dance Award for its production and performance of Ron De Jesus’ “Prey,” proving it is one of Chicago’s cultural gems.

Tickets are $35/person; call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show.

The performance is one of the many ongoing programs at North Central College to enrich and broaden the cultural and academic outlook for the College and community. For a comprehensive schedule of musical performances, theatrical and dance productions, art exhibits and lectures, visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show or call North Central’s Office of Marketing and Communications at 630-637-5300.

 JAZZ REVIEW
By Howard Reich
Chicago Tribune critic
January 26, 2009

Two of Chicago’s most innovative jazz artists unveiled their newest music over the weekend, to often startling effect.

It has been a long time since singer Kurt Elling offered work that delivered on his early promise. But the sounds he produced Friday night at Wentz Concert Hall, in Naperville, pointed to a musician returning to the artistic values that made him noteworthy in the first place.

Unlike the lightweight fare he offered on his most recent CD, the disappointing “Nightmoves,” this time Elling dug deeper. Certainly he took on a formidable challenge in performing the repertoire of “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman,” a classic album that partnered the iconic saxophonist with the magisterial singer.

The risk for Elling was considerable, since his pliant, reedy instrument is no match for Hartman’s ultra-plush bass-baritone (no one’s is). To compensate, Elling shrewdly enlisted the support of a string quartet. So what Elling’s voice lacked in sonic heft was obscured by the luster of pianist Laurence Hobgood’s arrangements.

More important, though, Elling boldly re-imagined Hartman’s balladry, performing this repertory (and other material) with the melodic ingenuity and daredevil phrasing of the early portion of his career. His buoyantly creative lines in “Dedicated to You” and arialike phrases in “Lush Life” represented some of the best ballad singing being performed today.

The only flaw in the proceedings concerned Elling’s ongoing genuflections to Frank Sinatra. Do we really need to hear another version of “Nancy With the Laughing Face”?

On Saturday night, drummer Dana Hall led an all-star quintet at the Green Mill in music more explosive than Elling’s, but equally well crafted. The high point arrived with Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream,” which inspired shattering solos from saxophonist Tim Warfield and trumpeter Terell Stafford, and, of course, hyper-virtuoso work from Hall.

Howard Reich, jazz critic for the Chicago Tribune, writes about jazz vocalist Kurt Elling’s Jan. 23 performance in the Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center in an online entry. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-0123-best-chicago-jazzjan23,0,3958907.story