An Afternoon with the African American Philharmonic Orchestra

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, I urge you to attend the next concert of the African American Philharmonic Orchestra. This orchestra is gaining in momentum and the word is spreading about this superb showcase of African American musicians. The orchestra members are at ease playing music of all genre, particularly jazz, pops or more classical compositions. I have had the opportunity to hear them on two separate occasions and I was not disappointed.

Under the leadership of Mr. John Peek who is the President/CEO of Music South Corporation and who also serves as the conductor and emcee, the concert goer is in for a delightful treat. Mr. Peek is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction from Clark College, now known as Clark Atlanta University. Mr. Peek was lst chair trumpeter with the show "Oklahoma" and studied conducting at the Conductors Institute, Columbia, South Carolina University of School of Music. He has performed with such musical notables as Ray Charles, Arthur Prysock, Dinah Washington, The Temptations, Louis Armstrong and many other well known musical giants. He was a mentor to Duke Pearson who hailed from Atlanta and for whom the mot recent concert was a tribute.

During the last afternoon performance, we were treated to many old jazz standards and compositions, skillfully performed by the musicians. Many of the musicians, such as the keyboardist, drummers, saxophonists, and trumpeters were featured in solo parts and were well received by the racially mixed audience. Local vocalists are included in the program and as expected, there is no disappointment in their performance. Peeks's son is the manager of the orchestra and performed a soulful and smooth rendition of "When I fall in love". A female vocalist performed a stirring rendition of "Summertime" an all time favorite from Porgy & Bess. One of the highlights of the performance was the rendition of Wonderful World sung and played by one of the trumpeters. If you closed your eyes, you almost believed that ole Satchmo himself was there in person singing his signature tune. The soloist remarkably has a voice not unlike Louis Armstrong-raspy and soulful. He was a strong crowd favorite. Being in his early eighties and a former music teacher he unmistakably proved he can still play with the best of them! As you listen to each piece performed by the African American Philharmonic Orchestra, you marvel at the virtuosity, clarity and artful interpretation demonstrated by the orchestra. The audience was appreciative of the talent, showmanship and skill exhibited by the instrumental soloists. Each one of the featured soloists put his entire soul and being into the selections which were played with feeling and passion. One of the trumpeters is reported to have performed with Charles Peek in Harlem in 1949 and has been with him to this present day. Talk about longevity!

The concert was held in the Atlanta Research Library in Atlanta, Georgia and I am happy to report it was well attended. However, it is my opinion that this orchestra is not as well known as it could be and may not be using available resources to its best advantage to advertise its upcoming appearances. I found out only that morning that the orchestra would be in concert that afternoon. There is no website to check on upcoming appearances and phone call requests to be placed on the mailing list have not been successful. I would encourage Mr. Peek and the management staff to advertise more aggressively so that more of the public can be informed. Perhaps a current schedule could be printed and published in community newspapers or on public access television stations. A website would be quite helpful and appreciated as well as establishing a mailing list. Had it not been for a friend informing us of the upcoming concert, we would have missed the most recent performance which would have been a disappointment. It is my recommendation that Music South Corporation more widely advertise so that more individuals can benefit from and appreciate the musical talents of the African American Philharmonic Orchestra. In the meantime, call the Music South Corporation or send a postcard as I did to request notification of upcoming concerts. We want to celebrate and support the African American Philharmonic Orchestra. Let's not keep this fine orchestra a secret. It was truly a well spent Sunday afternoon attending the performance of the African American Philharmonic Orchestra. Encore!

For further information and to request that theyyou be placed on their mailing list, contact:
Music South Corporation
2565 Thornton Drive
College Park, GA 30349
770-994-3408