NPR Jazzfest presents the Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra in a special JazzSet, with Dee Dee Bridgewater, from Great Barrington, Mass., in the Berkshires.
The Eastman School-trained Schneider won a Grammy in 2005 for her most recent album, Concert in the Garden -- the the first recording to win the award without being sold in stores (it's sold exclusively through Schneider's Web site).
Schneider also won four Jazz Journalists Awards and took three first places in the Down Beat Critics Poll, all this year.
In between performances, Schneider stays busy composing music with a touch of flamenco, a bit of Brazil, a love of dance and adventure. And it's also challenging composing for her ensemble: The five saxophonists bring 23 instruments from the piccolo to the contrabass clarinet.
Schneider's appearance in Great Barrington was the highlight of the grand opening season of the newly restored, 100-year-old Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
Set List for the Maria Schneider Orchestra
"El Viento," originally commissioned for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band
"Choro Dancado" and "Danca Ilusoria"from Three Romances
"Hang Gliding," Schneider's piece about an aerial adventure on the coast of Brazil
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