DePaul Big Band Will Perform at Jazz Showcase; Bob Lark Celebrates CD Releases

With a reputation second to none among collegiate bands, the DePaul Jazz Ensemble sports its own distinctive sound that attracts an enthusiastic following in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond. This spring the activities of the ensemble – and their leader, Bob Lark – will reach a fevered pitch. The 19-member big band will join alto-saxophonist Phil Woods for performances at Chicago’s venerable Jazz Showcase in mid-May, followed by the ensemble’s season finale concert on the Lincoln Park Campus at the end of the month. Fresh from releasing a critically acclaimed solo CD, Lark will join the Phil Woods Quintet at a record release party/concert for their new disc at the Jazz Showcase. The quintet also will host free jazz workshops at DePaul in May.

The schedule for the ensemble and Lark, chair of Jazz Studies at DePaul’s School of Music, includes:

May 16, 17 and 18: Phil Woods and the DePaul Jazz Ensemble at the Jazz Showcase: For three nights only, the DePaul Jazz Ensemble, led by Bob Lark, will join jazz alto-saxophonist Phil Woods to present twice-nightly shows at this legendary performance space located at 59 W. Grand Ave.. The concerts, at 8.p.m. and 10 p.m., will be recorded live for an upcoming CD. DePaul students will receive a special discount for the sets on May 16. For ticket information, call the Jazz Showcase: 312/670-2473.

May 19, 20 and 21: The Bob Lark/Phil Woods Quintet celebrate the release of their first recording, “In Her Eyes,” on the Jazzed Media label with a performance of music from their new disc. This weekend-long party is at the Jazz Showcase, 59 W. Grand Ave., features sets at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on May 19 and 20, and 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on May 21. For ticket information, call the Jazz Showcase: 312/670-2473.

May 19 and 20: Jazz Workshop: The rhythm section of the Bob Lark/Phil Woods Quintet—Jim McNeely (piano), Steve Gilmore (bass) and Bill Goodwin (drums)—offers insights into the world of jazz. These sessions begin at 1 p.m. May 19 in Room 103 of the DePaul School of Music, 804 W. Belden Ave., and at 1 p.m. May 20 in room 109 of DePaul’s McGaw Hall, 802 W. Belden Ave. The workshops are free and open to the public. For more information, call the DePaul School of Music: 773/325-7260.

May 30: Jazz Ensemble Concert at DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus: The highly regarded student big band presents its season finale, marking the close of the academic school year with a free, public concert at 8 p.m. May 30 in the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. For more information, call the DePaul School of Music: 773/325-7260.

On a final note, Lark, a trumpeter/flugelhornist, is receiving kudos of his own for his recently released second album, titled “Until You.” All About Jazz critic Michael P. Gladstone raves about Lark’s “very pure and undiluted tone” and suggests that he has a particular affinity for the music of Thelonious Monk. Pianist Jim McNeeley partners with Lark on this Hallway Records CD.

The DePaul Jazz Ensemble, founded more than four decades ago, boasts a storied history, performing and recording with such top jazz artists as Bobbie Shew, Bob Brookmeyer, Tom Harrell, Louie Bellson and Clark Terry. The big band’s regular gigs and CD recordings with top artists were recognized by Rolling Stone magazine in its “Schools That Rock” guidebook profile of DePaul’s School of Music issued in the fall. In 2005, the Ensemble performed in Europe for the first time, appearing in a variety of summer festival venues throughout Italy.