"Aardvark stands up for what's hale, hearty and eclectic," wrote CD Review, and proof of that lies in two upcoming presentations by Mark Harvey, lecturer in music, and his Aardvark Jazz Orchestra.
The group will perform a live concert of new works by Mr. Harvey on Sunday, April 16 at 8pm in Kresge Auditorium and a recorded concert of Duke Ellington compositions on Sunday, April 23 at 10pm on WGBH-FM (89.7 FM).
The April 16 concert will feature exploratory works by Mr. Harvey, including the world premieres of a suite for five trumpets, Gabriel's Choir, and a new extended piece for jazz orchestra.
The April 23 "Jazz from Studio Four" broadcast will air Aardvark's "Ellington Tribute Concert," recorded in April 1999 for Duke Ellington's 100th birthday. This concert featured performances by Aardvark, the MIT Chamber Choir, Ashmont's All Saints Episcopal Church Choir, Senior Lecturer Pamela Wood, Assistant Professor Thomas DeFrantz and Associate Dean Ayida Mthembu.
Aardvark has concertized widely in the Boston area and beyond with appearances at First Night, the Museum of Fine Arts, Wellesley College, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and the University of Maine at Augusta, among others. The band's four CD recordings have been enthusiastically received by the public and jazz press.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on April 12, 2000.
