Ernest Dawkins & Friends

Ernest Dawkins is one of the world's premiere saxophonists and a Emmy award composer, whose life goal is for his music and compositions to reflect the evolving collective cultural memory of the African American jazz aesthetic.  He is currently Chairman of the AACM and Executive Director of Live the Spirit Residency.  Dawkins is currently in residence at the Rebuild Foundation, directing the AACM’s Great Black Music Ensemble every first Sunday of the month at The Stony Island Arts Bank. Since 2014, Dawkins has standing engagement every Sunday at Normans Bistro in Chicago, the sessions have become legendary. He is a recipient of the Joyce Award and McArthur international Connections grant in partnership with The Old Town School of Folk Music, and Live the Spirit Residency. Composing and presenting an original Composition titled Quantum Englewood, and music for the Englewood to Soweto exchange.

He is the leader and founder of several ensembles, most notably the New Horizons Ensemble, Aesop Quartet, Chicago Trio, Live the Spirit Big Band, the Boglifier, Englewood to Soweto Exchange, and the Chicago 12.  Dawkins has recorded numerous CDs and his publishing company, Dawk Music, has twelve releases to date.