University News

John Cooper Jazz Orchestra Benefit Concerts April 5 At St. Paul and WUMC

March 25, 2009

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL - - John Cooper, director of jazz studies in Western Illinois University's School of Music, will bring his highly-acclaimed, well-traveled "Baecker Jazz Worship Service" home to its premiere Macomb benefit performances Sunday, April 5.

Sponsored by the Macomb Ministerial Association and funded by the Fellheimer Trust, the John Cooper Orchestra will perform the ecumenical jazz service at 2:30 p.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, 309 W. Jackson St., and at 7 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1212 W. Calhoun Street. The services are open free to the public.

CDs will be available for purchase at $15 each, and $4 from each CD sold will benefit Macomb's Loaves and Fishes food pantry. The pantry also will receive the gifts of an offertory.

"This Little Light of Mine" is the underlying theme of Cooper's first worship CD, which he composed on commission by Western Illinois alumni Garth and Terry Baecker of Pekin (IL) to commemorate the golden anniversary of the founding of the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 2007, featuring the UCC anniversary theme "Let it Shine."

Western's Jazz Studio Orchestra presented the work at the UCC celebration service April 21, 2007 at the First Federated Church of Peoria. It has been performed several times since then at various venues in Illinois and in Detroit, where trumpeter Cooper played professionally.

In October 2007, Cooper chose "some of the best players in the world" to form the John Cooper Jazz Orchestra and record the "This Little Light of Mine" CD, which has received critical acclaim and international radio airplay. The composition was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in music composition.

The "Baecker Jazz Worship Service" is a seven-movement composition that can be integrated into a worship service or stand alone. The movements include "In the Beginning," a modern impressionistic jazz interpretation of the Book of Genesis; "Gospel: John 21," set in a leisure swing feel that switches to a fast swing; "St. Anthony's Light," a hard bop gospel melody set in 5/4 in the spirited up-tempo movement; "Offertory," in a modern New Orleans-tinged strut; "Doxology," the vocalist leads the band in this re-harmonized Kenton-style chorale; "Communion," a jazz ballad featuring trombone sets a contemplative and introspective mood; and the closing with "This Little Light of Mine," the modern introduction gives way to a hard swinging shuffle, complete with a sermonette by the vocalist.

Jennifer Wallis, a WIU jazz studies alumna ('06), returns to Macomb to perform vocals. While a Western student, Wallis sang with the Wesley United Methodist Church Praise Band. She then took a similar position at Calvary United Methodist Church in Normal (IL). In September 2008, Wallis was hired as a professional musician and is working out of Charlotte, NC.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing