Marcus Shelby (Teen Jazz Orchestra) and his trio will perform a concert dedicated to the music and influence of pianist and composer John Lewis, who led the iconic Modern Jazz Quartet for over 40 years and is one of the most influential and pioneering composers in the history of Black American Music. The concert will feature music by John Lewis written for the Modern Jazz Quartet and other ensembles he wrote for (such as Miles Davis’ “Birth of the Cool,” in addition to original music by Marcus Shelby.
Featured Musicians:
Greg Jacobs, piano
Jemal Ramirez, drums
Marcus Shelby, bass
Thursday, June 25 at 7pm
CMC Concert Hall
FREE (RSVP here)
About the Shenson Faculty Concert Series
The Shenson Faculty Concert Series returns this summer with inspiring concerts spotlighting CMC talented faculty members. Each year, the Shenson Foundation sponsors free community concerts for CMC faculty music projects to support CMC Faculty as performing artists and ensure their work on stage is shared and celebrated beyond the classroom and out in our community.
This year’s presenters will highlight a wide variety of musical styles, techniques, and creative inspirations, including original compositions, hidden gems, and traditions from around the globe—using music as a tool for exploring culture, identity, history, and artistic experimentation. Collaborators and guest artists also feature fellow CMC faculty and alumni!
Meet this summer’s talented faculty performers:
- June 25 – Marcus Shelby | A Tribute to John Lewis & Modern Jazz Quartet
- July 23 – Omar Ledezma Jr | Azesu: Music of the Americas
- August 6 – Angie Zheng | Text(ures): Music for Viola and Strings
- August 13 – Jon Jang | Jang Journeys: The Music of Jon Jang in the Making of Asian America
About the Performers:
Marcus Anthony Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator who currently lives in San Francisco, California. His work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives, social movements, and music education.
In 1990, Marcus Shelby received the Charles Mingus Scholarship to attend Cal Arts and study composition with James Newton and bass with Charlie Haden. Currently, Shelby is the Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz, an artist in residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, and a past resident artist with the San Francisco Jazz Festival and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
Shelby has composed several oratorios and suites including “Harriet Tubman”, “Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio”, “Soul of the Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”, “Black Ball: The Negro Leagues and the Blues”, “Green and Blues”, and a children’s opera “Harriet’s Spirit” produced by Opera Parallel 2018. Shelby also composed the score and performed in Anna Deavere Smith’s Off Broadway Play and HBO feature film “Notes from the Field” (2019). Shelby is also the voice of Ray Gardener in the Oscar winning Disney Pixar film “SOUL” 2020. Shelby has also worked with a range of artists including Angela Y. Davis’ “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism” (2019), W. Kamau Bell (“1000% Me”), Joanna Haigood’s “Dying While Black and Brown” (2014), Margo Hall’s “Bebop Baby” (2013) and “Sonny’s Blues” (2008), the Oakland Ballet’s “Ella” The SF Girl Choir (2013), The Oakland Youth Chorus (2014), and many other productions over the past 23 years. Shelby has served on the San Francisco Arts Commission since 2013. www.marccusshelby.com