Jazz Ensemble to Play Reed with Guest David Ornette Cherry

This Saturday, Feb. 5 the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble will perform with special guest David Ornette Cherry.

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble (pictured at right) consists of percussionist and composer Kahil El' Zabar, saxophonist Ernest Khabeer Dawkins and trumpeter Corey Wilkes. Cherry is an educator, composer and master of improvisation.

The set will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Reed College Chapel on the third floor of Eliot Hall, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. in Portland.

El' Zabar has played alongside a myriad of jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderly and Pharoah Sanders, as well as in the bands of Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Nina Simone (who he also designed clothes for) and Paul Simon, as well as recording with rock bands like Sonia Dada and Poi Dog Pondering and heading up the jazz/house outfit, JUBA Collective.

Dawkins has recorded 11 albums and is the founder and leader of his own group, New Horizons Ensemble. He's played with Ramsey Lewis, Muhal Richard Abrams, Lester Bowie, Edward Wilkerson, Jr., Henry Threadgill, Amina Claudine Myers, Anthony Braxton, Jack McDuff, Don Moye, Jerry Butler, and The Dells. He currently divides his time between his homes in Chicago, Durbin, S. Africa and Paris, France.

Corey Wilkes burst onto the music scene in 2002 and landed in the soul of the Chicago Jazz Club scene. He then took on the ghost of Lester Bowie and filled the vacant trumpet seat in the the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

His soulful notes can be heard gracing a variety of projects such as DJ sets by Logic, Osunlade and Josh Deep; tracks on Hidden Beach's Unwrapped Vol 4, as well as Kahil El Zabar's Ascension Loft Series.

Corey has shared the stage and knowledge with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Ledisi, Soulive, James Moody, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mike Phillips, Roscoe Mitchell, Von Freeman, Fred Anderson, Will Calhoun, Malcom Jamal-Warner and so many more

Cherry writes, arranges, and improvises music from sunrise to sunset and also trains young musicians in world music, theory, and piano. He has composed and created music with Trilok Gurtu, Olatunji, Jai Deva, and Foday Musa Suso and performed with Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins, Dewey Redman, Nana Vasconcelos, Olatunji, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Neneh Cherry, Eagle Eye Cherry, Willie Jones III, Roy Campbell Jr., Marc Cary, Watts Prophets, Glenn Moore, Hassan Hakmoun, Thara Memory, Janice Marie Scroggins and many more.