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Elysian Fields | Busch Memorial Stadium | Forbes Field | Polo Grounds | Kingdome
Palace of the Fans | Meuhleback Park | Tiger Stadium | Yankee Stadium

Listen to the April 1 performance

We Tear Down Our Coliseums is a nine-movement multimedia creation by two brothers inspired by the historical, architectural, and – sadly – disposable aspects of baseball stadiums. Each movement is written as an homage to a demolished stadium, with music written by John Dorhauer (director and composer for Heisenberg Uncertainty Players) and visual art by Adam Dorhauer (a writer and visual artist from Cleveland who writes for The Hardball Times). Though the music was written for jazz big band and uses elements of jazz, it transcends genre boundaries, sharing more in common with a symphonic tone poem than a traditional work for big band. And while the paintings often do portray the given stadiums, they offer unique and insightful commentary on each stadium’s place in history. Coliseums is a vital artistic creation because it presents unique perspectives on a culturally vibrant and relevant topic, it unites art and sport in a way that will appeal to fans of both, it challenges conventions of what a big band can do, and it allows two adventurous artists to pursue their crafts and take creative risks related to a strong passion of theirs.

The premiere for Coliseums will take place on
Saturday, April 1, at 8 PM in Elmhurst College’s Mill Theater,
the evening before MLB’s 2017 Opening Night


Special thanks to
Elmhurst College Music Department
Elmhurst College Jazz Band
Elmhurst College Alumni Association
Elmhurst College Theatre Department
Elmhurst College Athletic Department
for their support of this project

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We are excited to delve into a hip-hop/jazz collaboration with politically conscious Chicago rapper KID.  With our usual 17-piece big band, KID has written lyrics over our new, original music, nimbly straddling hip-hop, jazz, and R&B.  We look forward to sharing this music with you over the coming months!

Rehearsal at the Foxhole
Rehearsal at the Foxhole

In preparation, we are taking part in Chicago Artists Month for a live performance and video recording at The Foxhole Chicago. We invite you to be a part of this experience!

Details:

Saturday, November 14, 2015
2 – 6pm

The Foxhole Chicago
2444 W Montrose
Chicago, IL
Phone: (773) 754-7105

Read more about KID and the HMK Family
CAMFoxHole

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Wanna see us play at The Great American Lobster Fest? We’ve got 2 General Admission tickets for Saturday, August 16 to give away, but you gotta earn ’em!

Here’s how it will work: send us a picture of you with a lobster, and the best or most creative photo wins both passes. It doesn’t have to be a real lobster (though that’s a plus!), and you can even photoshop the picture.  Send us a tweet @huplayers or post on our facebook page with your photo to be entered.

Get creative! We’ll announce the winners next week, so get cracking!

HUP plays at 10am on Saturday in the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier.

 

The Great American Lobster Fest is Chicago’s first outdoor lobster fest of its kind. Enjoy the freshest seafood that Chicago has to offer, flown in daily by New England Seafood Company’s family owned dock in Boston. Enjoy great live music, carnival games, and cold beverages as jets fly overhead during the Air and Water Show. Stick around on Saturday night for Navy Pier’s spectacular fireworks show.

Not a lobster fan? Not to worry, many other great food options will be available.

The Great American Lobster Fest is an all ages, family friendly event.

Food will be served from 10am to 10pm each day.

Arrive early to secure your spot for the Air & Water show! Gates may open early each day.

Polly_Lobster

http://www.americanlobsterfest.com/

 

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Each Friday, we’re posting a new video of one of our live performances!  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get notified of new videoes.

Vinny Starble’s original composition “For the Moon and the Skyline” at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on 4/13/14.  Soloists are Carl Kennedy (piano) and Vinny Starble (tenor sax).

 

Chris Parsons’ arrangement of “I Could Write a Book”, live at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on 4/13/14. Soloists are Andrew Ecklund (trumpet) and Chris Parsons (guitar).

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HUP is excited to be a part of the recently launched COJENT (Chicago Original Jazz Ensembles, Now Together)! 

COJENT is a cooperative organization that promotes new music for large jazz ensembles.

 
cojent

COJENT is a cooperative organization formed by band leaders in Chicago to promote original large ensemble jazz music and to increase public awareness of this music. We are also seeking to foster the creation of new music and promote education of this music to people of all ages.

 

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rob

“The HUP CD is a wonderful collection of originals and is very professionally recorded and performed.  I have really enjoyed the CD in every way including the excellent solo playing in every chair.  Congratulations John Dorhauer on a wonderful CD!”

–Rob Parton,  Associate Professor of Trumpet at Capital University and leader of Rob Parton Big Band

 

 

Order your copy of Rob Parton’s new Christmas CD, Christmas Time is Here,  featuring some of the finest Chicago musicians including Mark Colby, Jim Gailoretto, Mike Smith, Carey Deadman, Tom Garling, Kevin O’Connell, Larry Harris, YL Douglas, Jim Cammack, Stew Miller, Eric Hochberg, Jeremy Kahn, Bob Rummage and many others.  Also check out special guests Byron Stripling on vocals and trumpet solo and Kristy Parton on vocals!

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Martyrs'

The Chain is off of singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson‘s 2009 Everybody album.   Our guitarist Chris Parsons arranged the song into a waltz for big band.  This recording is from our performance at Martyrs’ on October 16, 2012.

Saxes: Jim Barbick, Kelley Dorhauer, Adam Frank (soloist), Vinny Starble, James Baum

Trombones: Bryant Scott, Richie Palys, Xavier Galdon, Jeff Livorsi

Trumpets: Nick Drozdoff, Nick Sednew, Brian Warszona, Jenni Szczerbinski

Piano: Carl Kennedy |Guitar: Chris Parsons (soloist) |Bass: Dan Parker |Drums: Keith Brooks

Director: John Dorhauer

 

 

martyrsposter

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Obokuri Eeumi is a Japanese folk song by Ikue Asazaki, made famous when it was featured in an episode of anime series Samurai Champloo in 2005.  Blogger Frederick Cloyd writes a bit about Asazaki, the lyrics, and the song’s dialect:

Asazaki-san sings this in her traditional Kagoshima/Okinawan/Japanese style, accompanied by piano. Some say that Ikue Asazaki is Okinawan and from Okinawa. Some say she’s from Kyushu, the southernmost large island of Japan, where Kagoshima, her birthplace is. This is a testament to the complexity of history and who claims what. Some say she sings in Okinawan. Some say she sings in the Kyushu dialect. Both and none may be true. Most mainstream Japanese do not understand what she is singing. Dialect? Another language? Okinawan? Japanese? Kyushu language or dialect? In the end, we listen to the beautiful language and song, to reflect, enjoy, feel.

As in most nation-states, the dominant state language is demanded. When I was growing up in Japan, those who spoke the language that she speaks, were ridiculed and often called stupid and primitive and unsophistocated. Nowadays, the young Japanese are more fascinated with these languages. The stigma of it has changed. In destruction, while languages and cultures become museum pieces for us, are we then appreciative? Let us listen and appreciate.

This arrangement features trumpet and alto sax solos emulating the colors and embellishments found in Ikue Asazki’s singing.  This recording is from July 24, 2013  at the Jazz Showcase.

Saxes: Tim Koelling, Kelley Dorhauer (soloist), Casey Fitzpatrick, Vinny Starble, Brian Toms

Trombones: Bryant Scott, Luke Malewicz, Joshua Torrey, Antonio Portela

Trumpets: Tom Klein, Andrew Ecklund (soloist), Jen Marshall, Jenni Szczerbinski

Piano: Carl Kennedy (soloist) | Guitar: Chris Parsons | Bass: Dan Parker | Drums: Keith Brooks

Music Arranger & Director: John Dorhauer

 

Obokuri Eeumi – (Obtain our Bearings)

Arayashikiku no dei – (in search of a new land)
Harasaku baku no dei – (let’s build a new house)
Hare fushigyurasa nejyuku – (by neatly gathering hay)
Surajifushiro yondo – (to thatch the roof)
Hare fushigyurasa nejyuku – (by neatly gathering hay)
Fushigyurasa nejyuku – (neatly gathering hay)
Surajifusero yondo – (to thatch the roof)Kirishigaki ku no dei – (at the stone walls)
Kuganeya be tatei tei – (let’s celebrate the golden house)
Hare momo tobyuru wakya – (that was built)
Ya uriba yuwa o yondo – (by a hundred carpenters)
Hare momo to byuru wakya – (that was built)
Momo to byuru wakya – (was built)
Ya uriba yuwa o yondo – (by a hundred carpenters)Hateigachi ya naryuri – (august draws near)
Tobibani ya neranu – (but i have nothing to wear)
Hare utou katabani – (i want to dress up)
Ya karachitabore – (brothers, lend me a sleeve)
Hitotsu aru bani ya – (i want to dress the children and those i love)
Kanasha se ni kusuitei – (with the single kimono i own)
Hare wanu ya okuyama – (i will wear vines)

Nu kazuradasuki – (that i picked deep within the mountains)
Ojyuugoya no teiki ya – (the full moon shines)
Kami gyurasa teryuri – (far and wide like the gods)
Hare kana ga jyo ni tataba kumo tei taborei – (when my lover comes to visit, i wish the clouds would hide it a little)

Ikue Asazaki – Obokuri Eeumi Lyrics @ LyricsSpot.com

 

http://youtu.be/u6FM1E_rxEg

 

Written for Adam Dorhauer (artist of Emergency Postcards). 

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HUP is taking up a monthly residency at Phyllis’ Musical Inn!

Located in the heart of Wicker Park, Phyllis’ Musical Inn is the oldest place in the neighborhood to present live music.  HUP will be playing the second Sunday of every month at 8pm.  No cover charge, ages 21+.

Be sure to visit their outdoor beer garden on the west side of the bar (basketball, anyone?).

Phyllis’ Musical Inn
1800 W Division
Chicago, IL

August 11 | September 8 | October 13 | November 10 | December 8

 

Phyllis' Musical Inn

 

Here’s a clip from our July performance at Phyllis’ of “Honeybadger” featuring Kendall Moore on trombone and Adam Frank on tenor sax.