Saxophonist Remembers Civil Rights Icon Emmett Till

Saxophonist Remembers Civil Rights Icon Emmett Till

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Tonight, some of the finest players on the Chicago jazz scene will be in Englewood to perform an extended piece of orchestration and improvisation honoring Emmett Till. Un-Till Emmett Till is the brainchild of saxophonist, composer and educator Ernest Dawkins. It’s also the final piece of a trilogy Dawkins created to honor key figures in the civil rights movement. I sat down with Dawkins yesterday to discuss the work. He talked about the collaboration and the inspiration that made it come alive.