Guest Artist Biographies

DEE ALEXANDER

Born on Chicago’s west side, Dee Alexander is one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female vocalist/songwriters. Her talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B, from Blues to Neo-Soul. Yet her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through her performance of Jazz music. From a soft, sultry ballad to a scat-filled romp, Alexander delivers each style with a passion for music that comes across in every note and a grace that is truly her own. Growing up in a household that was steeped in recordings of Dinah Washington, Alexander names Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald among her major influences, as well as Chicago saxophonist Henry Huff, who encouraged her to take risks and cross boundaries thus setting her on the path to becoming one of the most accomplished vocal improvisers in the world today.

Her Jazz Institute of Chicago commissioned tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington entitled Sirens of Song introduced her to a larger audience and marked the beginning of worldwide recognition. The Millennium Park performance on the Pritzker Pavilion stage also began a period of frequent European touring. Alexander boasts long and fruitful associations with Chicago’s jazz elite, including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, Nicole Mitchell, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

Alexander’s current project, Songs My Mother Loves, has received rave reviews and is intended not only to express thanks and pay tribute to Dee’s mother for her inspiration and influence, but also to pay homage to the music that has become such a significant part of her life.

Alexander is currently a host on the WFMT Jazz Radio Network.

JOHN MCLEAN

John McLean’s career has included work as a guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, and educator. Since completing his studies at the Berklee College of Music (B.M.) and the University of Miami (M.M.), he has toured throughout the world and appeared on over 50 recordings. McLean has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Kurt Elling, Mose Allison,

Randy Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Anat Cohen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Richie Cole, Ken Nordine, Joe Locke, Regina Carter, Louis Bellson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Terry Callier, Renée Fleming, John Patitucci, Adam Nussbaum, Ernie Watts, Dave Douglas, Patricia Barber, Kendrick Scott, Arthur Blythe, Eddie Gomez, and many others.

Over the course of his 30 years of touring as both a leader and sideman, McLean has performed in virtually every major city in North America as well as London, Paris, Moscow, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Beijing, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Dublin, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Berlin, Oslo, Reykjavík, Oslo, Stockholm, Istanbul, Bucharest, Helsinki, Seoul, Lisbon, Vienna, Budapest, Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Zurich, and many more.

McLean has conducted clinics throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Europe and Asia. He currently resides in the Chicago area and teaches at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

ALEXANDER/MCLEAN PROJECT

The Alexander/McLean Project is a collaboration between a group of like-minded musicians who are interested in working along the nexus of poetry, long form composition, and jazz improvisation. This project is designed to expand upon each of the band members’ previous artistic efforts and incorporates a variety of stylistic approaches and strategies. Dee Alexander, the ensemble’s vocalist and co-leader and Westside native, has been a prominent member of Chicago’s arts scene for the last four decades. Dee is widely known for her close association and longtime membership with Chicago’s legendary AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). In addition, Alexander has recorded and toured extensively in both leadership and collaborative roles. Likewise, John McLean the co-leader of the ensemble has a long-standing relationship with Chicago’s creative music scene. McLean has participated in over 60 recordings as both sideman and a leader and has toured worldwide in a variety of creative music ensembles.

The goal of the Alexander/McLean Project is to delve as deeply and as creatively as possible into the art of songwriting as it relates to and intersects with the world of jazz improvisation. While the beloved works that we refer to as the “The Great American Songbook” provide us with a sturdy and beautiful template for this undertaking, the purpose of this project is to explore the extension of that legacy as well as presenting original material that reflect the times we are living in with love, hope, and happiness being the goal of every man, woman, and child.

HOLIDAY JAZZ WITH DEE ALEXANDER

PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM STAGE

Guest Artist Biographies

DEE ALEXANDER

JOHN MCLEAN

ALEXANDER/MCLEAN PROJECT

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HOLIDAY JAZZ WITH DEE Alexander