“Renderings” – Chuck’s anticipated first album with the WDR Big Band will be released by Summit/MAMA on July 21st! The project, interrupted and delayed by Covid, was recorded in two separate sessions in July of 2019 & May 2021 and shines a spotlight on Chuck’s highly creative approach to original arrangements. Sara Caswell, violinist from the Surge, is featured as a guest soloist on a couple of the charts.
Chuck joined NEA Jazz Master, Terri Lyne Carrington and the WDR Big Band for a series of concerts and recording in Germany. He arranged and conducted all the works which also featured vocalist, Melanie Charles. Concert video currently available for viewing: https://fb.watch/kfzq6xCVcA/ Although there is no projected release date, an album was also recorded. Stay tuned!!
Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge are delighted to announce their scheduled appearance at the 2023 JEN (Jazz Education Network) Conference on Wed., Jan 4th at 10:15 PM! Can’t make that? Well, the ensemble will also return to perform an intimate club set at Pilar’s Martini in Winter Garden (the last one sold out!) and at the Pasco Center for the Performing Arts. Dates are:
Wednesday, Jan 4th 2023 – JEN Conference – Omni Orlando Hotel @ 10:15 PM
Friday, Jan. 6th 2023 – Center for the Arts, Wesley Chapel, Tampa – 8:00 PM Tickets
Saturday, Jan 7th 2023 – Winter Garden/Orlando, beginning @ 8:00 PM. Tickets
After a Covid-influenced hiatus, Chuck’s new sextet “ReSurgence” will return with a Central Florida mini-tour in January, 2023. Dates are still being set but include:
Sunday, Jan 8th 2023 – Palladium Theater (St. Pete) @ 4:00pm Tickets
Wednesday, Jan 11th 2023 – Pilars Jazz Club, Winter Garden (Orlando) @ 7:30pm Tickets
“Renderings” – Chuck’s debut album project with the phenomenal WDR Big Band is set for a Feb., 2023 Release. Recorded over two trips to the famed German studio, this project is something of a departure from those with the Surge as it primarily features arrangements – Chuck’s highly original re-imaginings or “Renderings”, if you will. A Sinatra standard, a Chick Corea work, 3 scintillating compositions from the band’s personnel, and even a couple of Chuck’s own pieces are shone in a new light. More soon!
Chuck will lead the Surge in a series of 3 consecutive one-night performances across Central Florida this Spring. . . . the band’s first FL performances since 2017 when they debuted their prior album “Whispers on the Wind” at the Jazz Composers’ Symposium in Tampa.
- March 23 – Pilars (Martini), Winter Garden pilarsmartini.ticketleap.com
- March 24 – Univ. of South Florida Concert Hall, Tampa 7:30 PM https://www.ticketmaster.com/chuck-owen-and-the-jazz-surge-tampa-florida-03-24-2022/event/0D005C2BE5C4D19D
- March 25 – Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa 7:30 PM https://efsc.booktix.com
The ensemble will continue celebrating 25 years of Surge recordings as well performing material from “Within Us” for the first time in FL.
“Within Us: Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge” is set to receive its premier at the University of South Florida on Thursday, Feb. 24th! The full-length documentary, produced by the talented folks at USF’s InEd Studios, traces the making of the band’s latest album project from the first recording sessions in Orlando through the electric CD release concert at Birdland in New York. Beautifully captured, edited, and produced, we couldn’t be more excited to share this with those interested in getting an inside look at the creative & recording process involved in such a complex undertaking as well as the close-knit interactions of this family of musicians that is seen joyously reuniting and playing again (most for the 1st time) after 15 months of Covid isolation. The premier is free and open to the public although attendees must have tickets via Ticketmaster.