As part of the Black Metropolis International Symposium, Between Past and Future: Race, Urban Planning and African-American Culture in Chicago, the FEU is honored to host in its Grand Salon this exceptional concert by the National Jazz Orchestra and Mike Reed around the creation The City Was Yellow: The Chicago Suite. The opening will feature young musicians from the South Side and the West Side of Chicago.
It was at the end of a trip to Chicago, organized by the ONDA in November 2016, that Olivier Benoit imagined this new urban evocation, in transatlantic resonance with the Europa cycle and as the culmination of the end of his mandate at the head of the ONJ (June 2018). For this original project, conceived in partnership with The Bridge, the artistic director chose to entrust the orchestra and the writing of the program to drummer, composer and conductor Mike Reed.
A figure of the new generation of the AACM, also creator of the Pitchfork Music Festival, co-programmer of the Chicago Jazz Festival, director of Constellation, one of the most dynamic venues in the city, but also of Hungry Brain, this poly-technician musician has gradually distinguished himself as one of the most singular artistic voices in the contemporary jazz landscape, through a work skilfully blending Chicagoan traditions and experiments of all kinds, historical awareness and emancipated research.
Presented at the end of January 2018 at the Festival Sons d’Hiver, the creation The City Was Yellow: The Chicago Suite will revisit a series of key pieces by composers and ensembles from Windy City over the past 30 years: Ed Wilkerson, Rob Mazurek, Ken Vandermark, Nicole Mitchell, Tortoise… A repertoire specially arranged by Mike Reed for the ONJ, joined by the musicians of his favourite post-bop quartet People, Places & Things. People, places and things, like a journey back to the source of all artistic equations and explorations.
Two exceptional meetings will happen in November 2017, as a prelude to the event. The first will bring together Olivier Benoit and Mike Reed in duet, on the stage of the grand salon of the Fondation des États-Unis at the Cité internationale universitaire, on the occasion of the drummer’s participation in the first multidisciplinary symposium on his city organized by the University of Chicago in Paris. The second, will feature a trio formed by ONJ musicians Sylvain Daniel and Fabrice Martinez with Mike Reed, during an evening at the Dynamo de Banlieues Bleues which will also welcome two other pillars of the Chicago scene: Dave Remplis and Frank Rosaly.
The Rendez-vous
November 17th, 2017 : Meeting MIKE REED drums – OLIVIER BENOIT guitar
Opening act: Young musicians from the South Side and West Side of Chicago
November 27th, 2017 : Meeting MIKE REED drums – SYLVAIN DANIEL electric bass – FABRICE MARTINEZ trumpet
Opening act: DAVE FILLED saxophone – FRANK ROSALY drums La Dynamo de Banlieues Bleues / Pantin
January 27th, 2018 : CREATION THE CITY WAS YELLOW: THE CHICAGO SUITE NATIONAL JAZZ ORCHESTRA – MIKE REED FESTIVAL WINTER SOUNDS – JACQUES CARAT / CACHAN THEATER
Project realized in partnership with Sons d’Hiver and The Bridge