When Ravinia CEO Welz Kauffman was honored last weekend by the Kohl Children’s Museum, in an unusual twist the honoree performed, playing a new arrangement by Chicagoan Andy Chuckerman of Dave Brubeck’s classic “Take Five” — joined by an ensemble of alumni and current players from Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars education program.
It went so well, Kauffman now has decided to annually commission a new arrangement of a jazz classic for the Jazz Scholars — Ravinia’s program that selects the best Chicago Public School high school jazz musicians to join the ensemble that plays real gigs and works with such Chicago legends as Willie Pickens.
