A former president of the AACM and founder and leader of New Horizons Ensemble, ERNEST DAWKINS is an internationally known saxophonist. He has composed music for the documentary film, Malcolm, and was commissioned to write a three-piece suite honoring Rahsaan Roland Kirk for the King Arts Complex in Columbus, Ohio. He has also created commissioned works for the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Sons d’Hiver Festival, Banlieues Bleues Festival, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago. More recently, Ernest remounted what Howard Reich has called ”his greatest work,” UnTill Emmett Till. Twice named Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, Ernest also has received a Meet the Composers Round VII New Residencies grant and has twice been awarded the State of Illinois Governors Fellowship award. Ernest established The Englewood Jazz Festival, now in its 11th year, and founded Live The Spirit Residency, a not-for-profit arts organization committed to improving access to creative and improvised music for under-served communities within Chicago. He has worked with a myriad of music greats including Ramsey Lewis, Muhal Richard Abrams, Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, Henry Threadgill, Amina Claudine Myers, and Anthony Braxton. After five Delmark albums with his New Horizons Ensemble and three as co-leader of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Ernest has created a specially chosen group for straight ahead jazz featuring African, Afro-Latin, and African American percussion on his newest Delmark release, afrostraight. Completing his quartet will be JUNIUS PAUL, bass; WILLERM DELISFORT, piano; ISAIAH SPENCER, drums.
Video
Watch the trailer for the Ernest Dawkins New Horizon Ensemble DVD:
*Please note: Video samples do not necessarily represent HPJF lineup.
Website: http://ernestdawkins.com/
