Producer Bios/Credits

Producer Bios

RAMSEY LEWIS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
PIANIST AND COMPOSER

Ramsey Lewis has been referred to as ‘the great performer,’ a title reflecting his performance style and musical selections that display his early gospel playing and classical training along with his love of jazz and other musical forms. A native Chicagoan born May 27, 1935, Lewis represents the great diversity of music for which Chicago is noted. Lewis first captivated fans with his debut album Ramsey Lewis and The Gentlemen of Swing by the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956. By 1965, he was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with ‘The In Crowd,’ ‘Hang On Sloopy’ and ‘Wade In The Water.’ With more than 80 albums on his discography, Lewis is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award, four honorary doctorate degrees and numerous other accolades including seven gold records and three Grammy Awards.

SCOTT HALL
MUSIC ARRANGER AND CONDUCTOR

Scott Hall has carried on the tradition of collegiate jazz through directing the Columbia College Jazz Ensemble, which has been applauded at the Vicenza Jazz Festival in Italy, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, Jazz Unites, Inc., Duke Ellington Tribute Concert, and many venues around Chicago. His debut album, Strength in Numbers, received critical acclaim and airplay on jazz radio stations around the world. As a graduate jazz composition major at DePaul University, he received awards from the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences and DownBeat magazine for his work as a jazz arranger. This led him to being an active composer and arranger in the Chicago area. Hall has performed in major musical capitals around the world and has worked with such jazz greats as Jon Faddis, Mel Torme, Kurt Elling, Benny Carter, Joe Lovano, Lennie Niehaus, Lester Bowie, Roy Hargrove, Marcus Belgrave, Cedar Walton, Dr. Billy Taylor, Johnny Griffin. He is currently director of jazz studies at Columbia College in Chicago.

NICOLETTE FERRI
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
PRODUCER

An Emmy award-winning producer specializing in national music and entertainment programming, Ms. Ferri currently serves as Executive Producer of ‘Soundstage,’ the national PBS HD music series showcasing both classic and upcoming artists. In addition to ‘Proclamation of Hope,’ she produced the international HD music special shot on Masada in Israel--’David Broza at Masada: A Sunrise Concert with Jackson Browne and Shawn Colvin.’ She developed and produced the national HD jazz series ‘Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis,’ and was the Series Producer for ‘Network Chicago Presents,’ an eclectic music and dance series. Ms. Ferri has received critical acclaim and awards for a diverse body of work, including Emmy Awards for the public affairs documentary, ‘Words on Work,’ the world music program, ‘World Stage Chicago’, the music special ‘Centerstage,’ and ‘Trinity Irish Dance Company: One Step Beyond. ‘Other innovative projects include the docu-drama hosted by Ellen Burstyn, ‘The House That Jane Built,’ on the life of social reformer Jane Addams, the PBS documentary, ‘Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey,’ and ‘Musica,’ the high definition Latin music special with renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. And for six seasons, Ms. Ferri produced the national movie review series, ‘Sneak Previews.’

STEVE PURCELL
DIRECTOR

Steve Purcell, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning producer, director and editor. His credits include concert films, music videos, TV music specials as well as feature films. Productions include Paul McCartney’s ‘Get Back,’ B.B. King’s ‘The Blues Summit,’ Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill-Live’ and Prince’s ‘Sign O’ the Times.’ He has also worked with John Lennon, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, ZZ Top, Van Halen and Yanni. In addition to music, Purcell has worked with Johnny Carson, Martha Stewart, Paula Abdul, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jillian Michaels on movies and television specials. Purcell’s current clients include Paramount, Disney, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and Time Life. In 1989, Purcell established SLP Productions, Inc. which is a full service production/postproduction company based in Los Angeles. He is also an active member of the Directors Guild of America.

WTTW Chicago

WTTW National Productions is a premier producer and presenter of original, high-quality television programs for both public and commercial television broadcast. WTTW National Productions is a division of Window to the World Communications, Inc., the parent company of WTTW11 Chicago.

For more than 50 years, WTTW11 and WTTW National Productions have introduced a wide array of ground-breaking television programming – reflecting the world’s rich and diverse arts and entertainment scene as well as education, politics, public affairs, business, and religion – to a national audience. www.wttw.com/national

RAVINIA

Established in 1904, Ravinia is North America’s oldest and most programmatically diverse music festival. Located about 20 miles north of Chicago, Ravinia attracts 600,000 visitors every summer to more than 100 concerts of the highest quality in several genres, including the annual summer residency of the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Over its long and varied history, Ravinia has presented performances by everyone from Janis Joplin to George Gershwin. In addition Ravinia is dedicated to music education through its REACH*TEACH*PLAY programs in public schools and under-served communities and through its summer music conservatory for young professionals, The Steans Music Institute. www.ravinia.org

AARP

Founded in 1958, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. AARP has offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a social welfare organization, as well as, the nation’s largest membership organization for people 50+, AARP is leading a revolution in the way people view and live life after 50.

CREDITS

Website

Kevin Crowley
Mike Egan
Chris Ege
Anne Gleason
Jenny Macchione
Margaret Ness
John Ritterbush

Documentary

Executive Producers

Ramsey Lewis
Nicolette Ferri

Produced By

Nicolette Ferri

Directed By

Steve Purcell

Senior Executive Producer

Frances J. Harth

Arranged and Conducted By

Scott Hall

Visual Artist

Michael Coakes

Production Manager

Ron Yergovich

Assistant Director

Leslie Wilson

Production Coordinator

Lauren Cohen

Production Designer

Bruce Ryan

Art Directors

Larry Wiemer
Ted Simpson

Lighting Designer

Dan Covey

Technical Director

Derrick Young

Audio Recording

Jim Mancini

Audio Assistant

Timmy Gaeng

Final Mix

Danny Leake
Jim Mancini

Cameras

Mino Dargakis
Matt Fontaine
Bob Hicks
Rolf Johansson
Kevin O’Harrow
Tom Siegel

Jib Operator

Jay Clark

Jib Utilities

Eddie Lehwald

Tape Operator

Don DeMartini

Video

Steve Miller

EVS Op

Sean O’Connell

Editor

Steve Purcell

Mobile Facilities

NCP

Truck Personnel

Darren Larson, EIC
Tim McCann, Maintenance
John Doherty, Driver
Bob Flapper, Driver

Graphic Design

Linda Fox

Senior Production Assistant

Maggie Ness

Production Assistants

Nelson Dougherty
Richard Ching
Jennifer Howard

Talent Wrangler

Steve Frendreis

Make-Up

Barbara Roybal

Photography

Bill Richert

DVD Producer

Mike Egan

History Consultant

Guthrie Ramsey

Senior Creative Advisor

Jan Lewis

Operations Manager

Shelby Shariatzadeh

Vocalist

Dee Alexander

Orchestra

Greg Akagi
Peter BarenBregge
Larry Bowen
Geof Bradfield
Graham Breedlove
Mike Bunn
Greg Drone
Stephen Dunkel
Craig Fraedrich
Leon Joyce, Jr.
Jennifer Krupa
Mark Mauldin
Kathy Mulcahy
Bob Odmark
Geoff Pilkington
Joshua Ramos
Stephani Stang
Dan Sullivan
Charlie Young

Orchestra Manager

Kristy Dolbeare

Orchestra Librarian

Susan Kelly

For Kennedy Center

Director,Jazz Programming

Kevin Struthers

Coordinator, Jazz Programming

Jean Thill

Production Manager

Bill Foster

Production Stage Manger

Peggy Dahlquist

Stage Technicians

Paul Farabee
David Langrell
Henry Parks
Crescenda Ramble
Richard Reynolds
Miles Robinson
Robert Tillett
Glenn Turner
DC Valentine
Anita Willis

Senior Press Rep

Erin Dowdy

Social Media Strategy

Grant Beussinger

Publicists

Joanie Bayhack
Nick Harkin
Julia Maish
Nick Pullia

Project Manager

Marie Considine

Station Relations

Regina Eisenberg

Images Courtesy Of

Corbis Images
National Archives and Records Administration
Library of Congress

Special Thanks

Renaissance Washington, DC
Dupont Circle Hotel

Executive in Charge

Parke Richeston

A Co-Production of

Ramsey Lewis and
WTTW National Productions
©MMXI Window to the World Communications, Inc. and Ramsey Lewis. All Rights Reserved

This program was produced by Window to the World Communications, Inc. and Ramsey Lewis which is solely responsible for its content.