Joe Chambers – Composer

Press release of “Moving Pictures” for Perugia, Italy in March 2011.

MOVING PICTURES is a four part suite composed by Joe Chambers for the Lincoln Center Orchestra in New York City.  The work premiered in 2003 under the direction of Wynton Marsalis.  This performance by the Perugia Jazz Orchestra in March 2011, will feature one of Italy’s foremost saxophonist, Pietro Tonolo.

It was conceived as a kind of “Concerto for Drums (Percussion) and orchestra synthesizing poly-rhythms, “straight ahead” swing, and Afro-Cuban rhythms with lush orchestration.

The piece begins with a prelude tribute to Duke Ellington; a re-harmonization of the ballad movement to “A Drum Is a Woman”.  The second movement “Irina” is a post-bop era excursion reminiscent of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra of the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s.  It utilizes modern harmony and shifting rhythms mixing swing and Latin grooves.

The third movement “Ruth” is a ballad featuring Joe Chambers on vibraphone.  Movement four, “Caravanserai”, is a multi-layered Afro-Latin (Cuban) extended piece, a kind of tone-poem movement in itself.

Joe Chambers established himself as a drummer and composer in the early 60’s as a member of the 1960’s fraternity that recorded some of the Blue Note Record Label’s greatest music.  Chambers can lay claim to a place alongside such innovative artists as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson and Chic Corea.  Some of his recording credits include:

Hubbard’s BREAKING POINT

Shorter’s ADAM’S  APPLE; ALL SEEING EYE; SCHIZOPHRENIA; AND ETCETERA

McCoy Tyner’s  TENDER MOMENTS

Andrew Hill’s COMPULSION  and ANDREW

Bobby Hutcherson’s DIALOGUE; COMPONENTS; TOTAL ECLIPSE, and NOW

Chic Corea’s TONES FOR JOAN’S BONES; INNER SPACE; and THREE PIANOS

Compositions by Joe Chambers have been recorded by Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Max Roach, and Donald Byrd.

Most recently he has released two recordings on the Savant Record Label:

THE OUTLAW in 2006 (Savant  SCD2069); HORACE TO MAX IN 2010 (Savant 2017)

Joe Chambers was selected as the first Thomas S. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Jazz in the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  Tenure began in the fall of 2008.