Bowie Project

When you can listen to the iconic Space Oddity" and hear it anew - without a trace of irony - you know this project has met it's goal." Neil Tesser. Chicago's Metropolitan Jazz Octet partners with the acclaimed vocalist Paul Marinaro to create an inspired tribute to the durability and pure magic of David Bowie's songwriting legacy. Reinterpreting without replicating, due in no small part to Marinaro's riveting vocals paired with creative arrangements, the octet palette reveals transparency and intimacy, coaxing nuanced colors more indicative of a larger orchestra, laying out an inventive complement to Bowie's lyrics. The MJO was originally founded in the '50s by saxophonist/arranger Tom Hilliard and documented first in 1959's "The Legend of Bix," on Argo Records. It's re-awakening in 2014 by Hilliard's former student, Jim Gailloreto, extends the rich legacy of Hilliard's library of compositions and devotion to this elegant chamber ensemble.