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Jazz Innovator
Andre Ward Plays Boston
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Andre Ward is not your grandfather’s jazz artist. Adept at soprano, alto and tenor saxophone as well as flute and EWI, the musician has carved out a name for himself incorporating contemporary, and often pop, elements. Born in Chicago and trained at Berklee, Ward’s particular brand of jazz/R&B/gospel fusion can be heard at the Hynes Convention Center for the First Night celebration, December 31, 2009.
Ward was introduced to music at an early age in Westside Chicago. “When I was 12 years old, I met the drums and started playing the snare drums for about six months, then courted the trumpet for three months, but when I picked-up the saxophone, I fell in love and the eternal union began,” reveals the musician. Ward continued his journey by studying at the Berklee College of Music at Boston before touring with the likes of Teena Marie, Will Downing, The Bobby Jones Gospel Group, The Four Tops, The O’Jays and Dizzy Gillespie.
His debut album Feelin’ You set the tone for his career as it reached the top five on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. The album, true to Ward’s pop leanings, featured renditions of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” and the Backstreet Boys’ “Shape of My Heart.” With his sophomore effort, Steppin’ Up, Ward covered R. Kelly’s “Step in the Name of Love”, gaining cross-genre fans in droves as he expanded his repertoire to hip-hop.
On December 31, Andre Ward will present his unique brand of jazz and wow audiences with his musical prowess. For more information on this or any of the First Night concerts, please visit www.firstnight.org. To purchase tickets, please visit www.mccahome.com.