Chicago Jazz Philharmonic & Orbert Davis ~ Sketches of Spain: Revisited

Chicago Jazz Philharmonic & Orbert Davis ~ Sketches of Spain: Revisited Saturday, November 7th, 2026 7:30pm Premium Adult – $50 ($45 Members) Reserved Adult – $45 ($41 Members) Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) presents Sketches of Spain: Revisited, an orchestral reimagining of the iconic 1960 original by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. For this reinterpretation of the 1960 classic recording, CJP artistic director and composer Orbert Davis created two additional compositions, incorporating traditional African and Middle Eastern instruments and making modifications to the ensemble orchestration.

These intimate yet powerful concerts will transport audiences to a different world. Orbert Davis’s involvement with Sketches of Spain began in the 1990’s when, as a trumpeter in Bill Russo’s Chicago Jazz Ensemble, he was asked to perform the solo trumpet part originally played by Miles Davis (no relation).

A particular challenge was to disregard the expectations of some purists that the original performance would be re-created. “However,” Orbert notes, “What Miles played is not intended to be duplicated. Miles reached past the technical aspects of his instrument and played from the depths of his soul.

I took that approach to freely create during the improvised sections.” Orbert Davis’s version of the classic work developed over many subsequent performances and years of studying the original recording, as well as Spanish music and culture. From the first performance with his own Chicago Jazz Philharmonic in 2011, Orbert introduced new elements reflecting Moorish influences on Spanish culture along with infectious jazz grooves and highlighted the unique talents of individual musicians in his ensemble.

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