Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn and the MCA invite you and a guest to attend the Members’ Preview for Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers. Join fellow members, artists, and curators for light fare, a cash bar, and a first look at this major retrospective showcasing Rashid Johnson’s acclaimed multidisciplinary practice.

At 8 pm, enjoy a special live performance by Sir Kahil El’Zabar in the 2nd-floor Kovler Atrium.

A global presence in jazz and a Chicago legend, Sir Kahil El’Zabar has made thousands of recordings and performances that have influenced contemporary culture across art forms. A close friend and collaborator of Rashid Johnson, El’Zabar has performed in celebration of A Poem for Deep Thinkers at previous presentations of the exhibition, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

About the Artist

Sir Kahil El’Zabar was knighted by the Council General of France for his global contributions to the arts. He has performed with luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Pharoah Sanders, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Archie Shepp, Eddie Harris, Donny Hathaway, Paul Simon, Ntozake Shange, Nona Hendryx, Neneh Cherry, Lester Bowie, Hamiet Bluiett, Malachi Favors, Billy Bang, and Gene Ammons, to name a few.

Dr. El’Zabar holds a PhD from Lake Forest College in Interdisciplinary Arts, as well as an honorary degree in Arts Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Arts Theory from IDSVA NYC. He has taught music at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Illinois–Chicago.

He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Task Force for Arts Presenting in Education and received the International Ambassador Award from President Barack Obama’s administration. El’Zabar has served on the boards of the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Campaign for the Freedom of Expression. He is also the former chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

El’Zabar has recorded more than 70 acclaimed projects and founded and leads the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, which has a strong rhythmic foundation, innovative harmonics and counterpoint, and well-balanced interplay and polyphony among the players, resulting in highly developed ensemble dynamics. They are strong individual soloists with an in-depth grasp of music history, originality, fearlessness, and deep spirituality.

They create an electrifying mix of spiritual jazz and African rhythms built around fundamental brass improvisations and a swing-induced groove. The resulting trance-like fervor transports listeners into a mind-opening journey of spiritually enlightened deep listening.