In researching and writing his eight-part "Presidential Suite," saxophonist Ted Nash found that "great political speeches combine three elements: a prominent orator, a significant statement and considerable eloquence...A sub-theme, a thread common to all of these, is the idea of freedom. For most movements I have used the intonation - the ups and downs and cadences of the voice - to form the thematic material." Nash found inspiration in orations by U.S. President John F. Kennedy ("Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You"), Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi ("Freedom From Fear"), and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ("We Shall Fight On The Beaches"), among others, and he "allowed the spirit of their messages to shape the intensity of the arrangements." This Jazz Standard engagement celebrates the CD release of Ted Nash Big Band Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom, with a recording cast that includes the voices of Glenn Close, Deepak Chopra, and Sam Waterston. On election night, the audience will be presented live election updates by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Fred Kaplan and Peabody Award-Winning journalist Brooke Gladstone.
Ted Nash – tenor sax
Sherman Irby – alto sax
Charles Pillow – alto sax
Ben Kono – tenor sax
Dan Block – tenor sax
Paul Nedzela – baritone sax
