On August 20 at 6:30pm in the Pritzker Pavilion, prominent members of the Great Black Music Ensemble will honor Fred Anderson, an important father of Chicago’s creative music scene, with original arrangements in a free concert. Fred is now 80 years old, and he has been at the forefront of the saxophone community for over 30 years, acting as a mentor to several successful jazz artists, and has been credited with numerous achievements including helping to found the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).
The free performance will feature George Lewis (trombone) ; Francis Wong (saxophone, flute, erhu, Chinese violin); Ed Wilkerson (reeds); Tomeka Reid (bass); and Greg Ward (saxophone). Please note that Fred Anderson will not perform.
This is a Free concert event.
Millennium Park: Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Chicago, IL
In addition, on August 19, noon to 1:30 pm, the Chicago Cultural Center hosts a panel “Celebrating A Jazz Hero: A Symposium on the Role of Fred Anderson in Chicago’s Jazz Legacy” in the Claudia Cassidy Theater. Admission is free and open to the public. Columbia University Professor, composer, trombonist and scholar George Lewis moderates a conversation with notable Chicago musicians who have studied with Fred Anderson, including bassist and scholar Paul Steinbeck, bassist and educator Tatsu Aoki, and others.
