Concerts & Events

The Virtual Juneteenth Celebration is a collaboration between the Old Town School of Folk Music, The AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), and Live the Spirit Residency. The performances will commemorate Juneteenth, the celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation and the abolishment of slavery in the United States.

The funds raised will be donated to Chicago Torture Justice Center to address the traumas of police violence and institutionalized racism.

Live the Spirit Residency presents: The Young Masters directed by Ernest Dawkins

The ensemble, born of a jazz workshop and young artists' mentoring program features some of the most promising high school and college-aged musicians in Chicago. For this event, they will present a new set of their original compositions.

Featuring: Emil Robinson (guitar), Devin Shaw (piano), Oscar Evely (drums), Micah Collier (bass), Jack Sundstom (bass), Miles Hardemon (trumpet).

The Great Black Music Ensemble

The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Inc. (AACM), Great Black Music Ensemble features some of Chicago's most visionary artists of improvisation and creative music. An intergenerational ensemble ranging in size from three to thirty pieces, the GBME carries on the legacy of creative music on Chicago's South Side. The AACM first coined the phrase “Great Black Music” to describe its unique direction in music: expressing the excitement of new sounds and rhythms, while invigorating the traditions of black music including funk, reggae, bebop, swing, and African and Caribbean styles. The year 2020 marks the AACM's 55th anniversary.

In light of the times in our community, we will examine two themes: Tribute to Black Lives Matters and There is Joy in Mudville Tonight.

The Great Black Music Ensemble directed by Ernest Dawkins features: Dee Alexander (vocals), Angel Bat Dawid (clarinet), Taalib Din Ziyad (flute/vocals), Alexis Lombre (piano), Micah Collier (bass), and Frank Morrison (drums). Brass t.b.d.

Additional promotional support provided by American Composers Forum, Spektral Quartet, and the Ear Taxi Festival.