Prairie State College to host 36th Annual Jazz Fest

The Jazz Fest begins with the Jazz Invitational on Thursday, Feb. 20, featuring 18 middle and high school groups performing for and coached by our guest artists. Exemplary student performers will be selected during the festival to join the artists for a concert on Friday night.

Short biographies of the concert performers and a list of the schools currently scheduled to play on Thursday of the festival are below.

Featured Performers:

Orbert Davis (Trumpet):

Davis is an Emmy-Award winning trumpeter, composer and educator and is co-founder, conductor and artistic director of Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP), a 55+ piece symphonic jazz orchestra dedicated to bringing together audiences of diverse backgrounds through multi-genre projects. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Davis’ mission-driven career has evolved successfully from ‘making it in the music industry’ to being a true leader in Chicago’s arts and culture community. He is widely respected in not only all things Jazz, but also for the distinctive ability to use his musical talents to make positive impacts on society through arts education and advocacy.

Len’I Glenn-McKinney (Saxophone):

Glenn-McKinney is a saxophonist that was born and raised in Harvey, IL. She graduated with her Bachelors in Music with a focus in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University under the direction of the international jazz bassist Rodney Whitaker. As a member of the MSU Jazz Orchestra I, she performed with many legendary jazz artists such as Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Antonio Hart, Jeff Tain Watts, John Clayton, and many others over the years as a student. She has become a featured artist and has performed or recorded with artists such as Fantasia, Jenifer Hudson, Ginuwine, Tony Toni Tone’, TINK and many others. She was also the baritone saxophonist for the Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center (Orlando, FL), the Gathering Jazz Orchestra (Detroit, MI), The Clif Wallace Big Band (Chicago, IL), and the Rodney Whitaker Group while also leading a touring band for 80’s star, Miki Howard from 2018-2022.

Valerie Nicholson (Piano):

Nicholson is a Professor and the Coordinator of music at Prairie State College and has taught at the College since 1986. She has performed with many ensembles including the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Center, and the Chicago Jazz and Blues Festivals with Burgess Gardner’s Well-Oiled Jazz Machine and Southland Jazz Ensemble. Nicholson has been recognized for her contributions to the arts by the Park Forest Historical Society, Tall Grass Arts Association, and Star Newspapers.  More recently, Valerie received the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s inaugural “Jazz Alive” Educator’s Award in 2019. She is the founder and coordinator of the annual Prairie State College Jazz Festival.

Larry Gray (Bassist):

Gray is a bassist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He has enjoyed a distinguished career, spanning four decades, in which he has collaborated with a long list of many of the most notable of jazz artists, including Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Williams, McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Eddie Harris, James Moody, Sonny Stitt, Larry Coryell, Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Clark Terry, J.J. Johnson, Steve Turre, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, Benny Green, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and Dave Liebman, among many others. As a composer and leader, he has five solo recordings to his credit, beginning with his debut, Solo + Quartet, and most recently, Three Equals One.

Ernie Adams (Drums):

Ernie has performed in tours, recordings and/or concerts in 48 different countries with Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Al Jarreau, Dee Alexander, Dianne Reeves, Niki Harris, Freddy Cole, Ann Hampton-Calloway, Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber, Ursula Dudziak, Grazyna Auguscik, and many other jazz greats. Ernie is a Drum/Jazz Professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Instructor for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Ravinia Jazz Mentor, Instructor for the Jazz Institute of Chicago and Jazz Instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago. He has played on three CDs and a DVD with the Al DiMeola Electric Band, and also played 12 years with Ramsey Lewis having been featured on two of his CDs.

Performing Schools:

Alan B. Shepard High School, Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center, Carl Sandburg High School, Chicago Christian High School, Coolidge Middle School, Ford Heights Upper Grade Center, Grimmer Middle School, Huth Upper Grade Center, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Kahler Middle School, Kirby School District 140, McKinley Junior High, Michelle Obama School of Technology and the Arts, Rich Township High School Fine Arts Campus, Southland College Prep High School, Tinley Park High School, Victor J. Andrew High School.