NEW YORK (www.corkymcclerkin.com) - Internationally-known jazz pianist CORKY MCCLERKIN is pleased to announce his new
September concerts for his "Island of Dreams" tour. On Saturday
September 11th, The Corky McClerkin Quartet will perform at Pops for Champagne, Chicago's Number One Niteclub, featuring the best of fine wines and sparkling jazz. The club is located at 2942 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago, Illinois. Showtime is at 9pm. The quartet is comprised of McClerkin on piano, Curtis
Prince on drums, John Whitfield on bass, and Duke Payne on saxophone. Then, on Saturday
September 18th, The Corky McClerkin Trio will perform at the Cazenovia Jazz Festival at Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, New York. Corky is also scheduled for a Two Piano performance with blues pianist Henry Butler. Showtime is at 5pm. All concert info and CD ordering can be found at www.corkymcclerkin.com
Corky McClerkin has been thrilling concert audiences this summer. According to event organizers, The Corky McClerkin Quartet's performance at the Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival in Mobile, Alabama on August 7th was the highlight of the evening. His latest CD, "Island of Dreams", has garnered widespread airplay in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Jazz enthusiasts throughout France have recently discovered and embraced his musical talents. T
he CD is a celebration of the versatility in African-American music. Music critics have lauded the release for its excellence in jazz, world, and soul music. For a recent review, visit www.thejazzsite.net.
Since the 1960's Corky has performed professionally throughout theChicago area. Guided by his mentor, Jazz tenor great, Von Freeman, he developed his talents throughout the 1970's while also discoveringhis passion for writing. As a featured columnist for the Chicago Courier, he was inspired to write Undercurrents (1978), a collection of short stories about the black experience.
In 1983 he built on his experiences by releasing his first album, Searchin' for the Soul (WinCor Records, 1983), with the title song later selected for re-release in Europe (Soul Jazz Records, 1992). Traveling and performing in the Far East in 1986 energized Corky's creative talents and stimulated ideas for his second collection, The Power Of One (Southport Records, 1993).
In 1996, The Corky McClerkin Trio advanced to the finals in BET's search for Best Jazz Instrumentalist Groups. This distinction culminated in a live video which continues to air frequently. Today, Corky's group performs at various local venues, including many Chicagoland Jazz Festivals. He is proud to have performed with such musicians as: Sonny Stitt, Eddie "Lockjaw' Davis, Eldee Young, Elvin Jones and Jack DeJohnette. He has accompanied many well-known singers like Dee Dee Bridgewater, Earnestine Anderson, Linda Hopkins, Al Hibbler, plus creative Chicago vocalists Sasha Daltonn, Dee Alexander, and Joan Collaso.
His solo concerts range from performing Duke Ellington's music in Orchestra Hall to "playing" tribute by performing the music of "Jazz Giants" such as Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, and Thelonius Monk in The Chicago Cultural Center. Although enjoying solo piano, Corky says, "I feel creativity reaches it's highest level with the musical interplay between musicians."
Corky supports Internet organizations such as www.creativityinmusic.com, www.cdbaby.com and www.taxi.com who promote independent artists. He is also a member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), the American Federation of Musicians and the World Future Society.
Listen here: https://audio.cdbaby.com/ramh/corky-10.ram
