Illustrious Aardvark Jazz Orchestra To Open 44th Season, Sept 29 at Scullers Jazz Club Boston

BOSTON - Aug. 22, 2016 - PRLog -- Called "stunningly beautiful and adventurous" (New York City Jazz Record), and "one of the best jazz ensembles in the world" (Jazz Podium, Germany), the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra kicks off its 44^th season at Scullers Jazz Club Boston with an exhilarating show including  music from Aardvark's latest CD Passages on the Leo Records label (highlights from the disc include Mark Harvey's Saxophrenia and his piece Spaceways, for Sun Ra).  Also on tap: the world premiere of a new Mark Harvey piece Northeast Express, plus  the Duke Ellington-Juan Tizol classic Caravan and the Duke Ellington-Johnny Hodges ballad Jeep's Blues.   "Aardvark suggests the best and the brashest of Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, George Russell, and even Frank Zappa." (JazzTimes)  Tickets: $25. Call 617-562-4111 or visit scullers jazz dot com.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, founded in 1973 and now celebrating its 43rd season, is one of the longest continuously operating large jazz ensembles in the world. The orchestra performs original compositions by Mark Harvey, as well as classics from the jazz tradition, American music, and world music.  Aardvark has premiered more than 175 works.  Guest artists have included luminaries Sheila Jordan, Jaki Byard, Geri Allen, Dominique Eade, Jimmy Giuffre, Vinny Golia, Robert Honeysucker,  Rajesh Mehta, Lewis Porter, Matt Savage, and Walter Thompson.

Aardvark is: Arni Cheatham, Peter H. Bloom, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; Bob Pilkington, Jay Keyser/trombones; Jeff Marsanskis, Bill Lowe/bass trombones, tuba; Richard Nelson/guitar; John Funkhouser/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, vocalists; Mark Harvey/trumpet, music director.    http://www.aardvarkjazz.com

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is managed by Americas Musicworks.   http://www.americasmusicworks.com

Aardvark founder and music director Mark Harvey has performed in major venues including Fenway Park and Symphony Hall, Boston, the Knitting Factory and the Village Gate (NYC), the National Gallery of Art (DC), the Left Bank Jazz Society (MD), the Berlin Jazz Festival (Germany), and the Baja State Theater (Mexico).  His musical credits also include recordings with George Russell's Living Time Orchestra (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey & the Year of the Ear (Arista/Novus), and appearances with Gil Evans, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, and Claudio Roditi, among others.  Harvey has received commissions from the Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Commissioning Program, the 15^th Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, FiLmprov, the MIT Sesquicentennial Celebration, and others.  In 2015, Harvey was named Boston Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association, one of 24 jazz advocates/activists recognized nationally.  Dr. Harveyteaches jazz studies and composition at MIT.