John Kordalewski / The Makanda Project
Milton, MA
Grant amount: $15,000
Performances
Merriman's Playhouse. South Bend, IN. 4/20/2022
The Bop Stop. Cleveland, OH. 4/21/2022
Auburn Public Theater. Auburn, NY. 4/22/2022
Crowell Concert Hall - Wesleyan University. Middleton, CT. 4/23/2022
About the Artist
The Makanda Project is a 13-piece band based in Boston, MA. The group was formed in 2005 to explore the previously unrecorded compositions of Makanda Ken McIntyre (1931-2001). Dr. McIntyre was an unsung innovator who stretched the boundaries of jazz composition in unique and effective ways. His 350 unrecorded pieces are a significant body of work that would have remained unheard without the Makanda Project's efforts. Makanda Project leader/pianist John Kordalewski has arranged over 60 of these pieces for the large ensemble. Because there is no record of Dr. McIntyre having played these pieces, the Makanda Project differs from "tribute bands" whose works will be compared to original recordings; rather, the compositions have been a vehicle for the group to develop its own sound and identity. The Makanda Project has been a regularly working large ensemble since its inception, largely by presenting ongoing series of self-produced free concerts in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. While there have been inevitable personnel changes over the years, the core of the band has remained intact. There have also been collaborations with musicians such as Oliver Lake, Chico Freeman, Ricky Ford, Michael Gregory Jackson, Craig Harris, and Feya Faku, as well as with poet Askia Toure and dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson.