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leads the Nine-Burner orchestra, a nine piece jazz band with a fabulous book or arrangements of great jazz tunes, filled with some of Chicago's leading soloists. Jerry has performed extensively as a drummer with jazz greats such as Peggy Lee, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Billy Eckstine, and Teddy Wilson. Jerry is an active studio recording musician. He has recorded works for the Hubbard Street Dance Co., and performed with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. More information about Jerry is available at www.jerrycolemandrummer.com.
plays alto sax and leads the Eddie Carr Orchestra. In addition to having taught saxophone at the American Conservatory at Chicago, Ken has performed extensively as both a jazz and classical saxophone player. Dr. Jandes is Superintendent of Oak Lawn School District, and is a passionate advocate for excellence in education.
has played on piano with jazz greats such as Mel Torme and Peggy Lee, and participated in L.A. studio sessions with Marvin Hamlisch and Jerru Goldsmith. Boby has served as a National Trustee and National Vice-President of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy awards organization). In addition to being a superb leader and accompanist of great jazz vocalists, Bobby records extensively. He arranges for and produces numerous recording sessions both for release as cd's and for the advertising industry. More information about Bobby is available at www.bobbyschiffmusic.com.
is a master jazz bass player, performing constantly with jazz greats ranging from James Moody, Peggy Lee, RoseMary Clooney, Billy Eckstine and others. John records extensively, and has performed nationally and internationally.
obtained her masters degree in oboe performance studying with then principal oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ray Still. She is a free lance musician, recording and performing on oboe and piano with orchestras and other ensembles. In addition to playing oboe with the band, she serves as conductor for many of the worship services.
Andy's interest in composition first took flight while studying with Ken Jandes at the American Conservatory in Chicago while Andy was in high school. While studying as an exchange student at the University of Munich, Andy Tecson performed on tenor and soprano sax with several bands that toured throughout Germany. Upon returning to Chicago, he was a member of Steve Goodman's band, Howard Levy's band and the Jump in the Saddle Band. His interest in jazz, composition and worship soon led him to devote his musical interests solely to composing, arranging and leading jazz worship services. His other profession, practicing law with Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. in Chicago, helps him to serve boards committed to providing services to families and individuals, including Community Care Options, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois, and the Cornerstone Foundation of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. His commitment to contemporary sacred music is also reflected in service on the board of Soli Deo Gloria.
has played trumpet and flugelhorn in the bands of Jack Teagarden and Tex Beneke, and was the music director for Peggy Lee. His trumpet and flugelhorn work has made him the top choice for studio recordings and concerts in Chicago. He has played on over 7,000 recording sessions. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and many others. Bobby is a recording artist on the Southport Label, and is the leader and producer of seven CD's on that label, all available at www.chicagosound.com. More information about Bobby is available at www.bobbylewis.com.
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On June 19, 1982, the Jazz Psalms was first celebrated at a Lutheran Church conference at Valparaiso University. The Jazz Psalms are settings for eight piece jazz band, vocal soloists and choir. In November of 1982, the band recorded the Jazz Psalms at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago. The extraordinary texts of the Psalms are filled with the joys and sorrows of life, and they resolutely proclaim God's presence in our lives. The Jazz Psalms includes a creation Psalm (Psalm 104) for baritone soloist and jazz band, a Psalm of both lament and triumph (Psalm 42) and Psalms of celebration. For a more in depth discussion of the Jazz Psalms, see the accompanying article originally published in the Christian Century.
The current ensemble includes four of the musicians who were on the Jazz Psalms recording: Jerry Coleman on drums, John Whitfield on bass, Ken Jandes on alto sax, and Andy Tecson who composes most of the music and plays tenor and soprano sax. The original pianist, Howard Levy, and trumpet players, Art Hoyle and Mike Mossman, worked with the band for several years, before their other commitments led them to suggest that Bobby Lewis take over the trumpet stand, and Bobby Schiff become the pianist. The Jazz Psalms have been celebrated in churches in New York, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Chicago, including at the jazz vespers series at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan, with the late Pastor John Garcia Gensel leading the worship and the Greg Smith Singers as the choir.
The Chicago Jazz Mass was first celebrated on Ascension Day in 1986 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke, 1500 West. Belmont, Chicago with Pastor David Abrahamson leading the worship. This Eucharistic liturgy consisting of a Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Nunc Dimittis has been celebrated at hundreds of church services involving many denominations, including festival services for the National Council of Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America national assembly, the United Methodist Church regional assembly, the Chicago Metropolitan Lutheran Synod assembly in communities ranging from Denver, Colorado, Davenport, Iowa to Minneapolis, Chicago and Cleveland.
The band has approximately one hundred traditional and contemporary hymns as part of its repertoire. In a typical Sunday morning worship service, the congregation is singing familiar hymns from its hymnal in addition to the Mass. The emphasis is on congregational participation and worship. The traditions of worship practice of the particular congregation are integrated with the music, with the jazz band substituting for the organ or other instrumental accompaniment which is typically used by that congregation. In a Christian Century column, Dr. Martin E. Marty has written that "When Tecson and company bring jazz into the sanctuary, they induce awe."
Andy Tecson has also composed a service of evening prayer, which the band uses in some of its vesper services. The band participates in hymn festivals, often to benefit social service organizations. The great organist, Paul Manz, has collaborated with the band in both hymn festivals and at Sunday morning worship when he was the Cantor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke in Chicago.
The ensemble has provided music for a number of radio and television broadcasts. Highlights have included Studs Terkel's radio show on WFMT, Sunday morning shows on Chicago based television stations WGN and WLS in Chicago, a nationally broadcast Christmas Eve service on CBS television, and the internationally broadcast BBC television show Songs of Praise.
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