Ernest Dawkins
Ernest Dawkins is one of the worlds foremost saxophonists and composers, dedicated to ensuring his music reflects the dynamic and evolving cultural memory of the African American aesthetic. In 2024, Dawkins composed, arranged, and recorded a Jazz Poetry Opera titled Paul Robeson: Man of the People. In December 2022, he was commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago to create Tim Black, Blacker Than Black. In October 2021, South Arts commissioned him to compose Refound Connections. In 2020, Chamber Music America commissioned him to compose and record Redefining Frederick Douglass, a work honoring the abolitionist legacy. In 2018, Dawkins, alongside the Old Town School of Folk Music, received the International Connections grant from the MacArthur Foundation, funding their 2019 tour of South Africa. This collaboration resulted in the Englewood to Soweto project and the recording of We Want Our Land Back. In 2016, Dawkins was honored with the Joyce Award and composed Quantum Englewood, a piece celebrating the rich cultural legacy of Englewood, Chicago. Dawkins serves as the Executive Director of Live the Spirit Residency and is a former Chairman of the AACM. He performs both locally and internationally, and for the past decade, he has hosted a weekly jam session every Sunday at Normans Bistro in Chicago.
