Vocalist

In August 1979, the ensemble was the opening band on the first night of the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. 44 years later, the CJO stands as not only the oldest professional big band in Chicago, but also the second oldest professional civic jazz orchestra in the United States (second only to the Columbus Jazz Orchestra).

Chicago Jazz Orchestra feat. Dee Alexander 2025

Dearborn Station

Born on Chicago’s west side, DEE ALEXANDER is one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female vocalist/songwriters. Her talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B and Blues to Neo-Soul, yet her true heart and soul are experienced through her performance of Jazz. Whether in a soft, sultry ballad or a scat-filled romp, she delivers with a passion for music that comes across in every note, and a grace that is truly her own. Alexander boasts long and fruitful associations with Chicago’s jazz elite, including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, Nicole Mitchell, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). She leads her own Dee Alexander Quartet, as well as the Evolution Ensemble, whose music ranges from original compositions to renditions of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. Her Jazz Institute of Chicago-commissioned tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington, Sirens of Song, marked the beginning of worldwide recognition, and her performance on the Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion stage launched a period of extensive touring in Europe. Alexander has received the Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz award and the 3Arts Award for Music. Her CD, Wild is the Wind, was named the album of the summer in France; earned her top votes in Downbeat’s Readers’ and Critics’ polls; received 5 stars in Downbeat; and was chosen as one of the magazine’s top ten recordings in the first decade of the new millennium. She has garnered accolades in African, Australian, European, and North American press. She is currently a host on the WFMT Jazz Radio Network.

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Dee Alexander Birthday Celebration - Alexander/ Mclean Project

Jazz Showcase

Chicago jazz vocalist Dee Alexander and tap dancer Jumaane Taylor collaborate, bringing Alexander's "It's All About Love" and Taylor's "Supreme Love" to audiences for the first time on the Harris stage — just in time for Valentine's Day.

Dee Alexander and Jumaane Taylor

Harris Theater

The Chicago Jazz Orchestra and the incomparable vocalist Dee Alexander pay tribute to the life, music, and legacy of the great Nina Simone on the 91st anniversary of her birth.

Nina At Ninety

Fine Arts Building Chicago

The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective (CSJC) is a band driven toward a performer-audience relationship of headshaking, hard-grooving, spirit-lifting original music influenced by the renown of classic soul-jazz. According to SoulTracks, CSJC produces music that "…really SWINGS". 

Chicago Soul Jazz Collective feat. Dee Alexander

Dee Alexander is one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female vocalist/songwriters.

Her talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B, from Blues to Neo-Soul. Yet her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through her performance of Jazz music. From a soft, sultry traditional ballad, to a contemporary Jazz-Funk groove; from a high flying swing, to a scat-filled romp, Dee Alexander delivers each style with a passion and love of music that comes across in each and every note, and with a style and grace that is truly her own. Besides being a phenomenal headliner in her own right, Dee has shared the stage with Ahmad Jamal, David Sanborn, Earl Klugh, Gerald Albright, Roy Ayers, Joshua Redman, and the O’Jays. Not being one to ever feel that the spotlight has to belong exclusively to her, Ms. Alexander has lent her considerable talents as a backup vocalist to the live performances of an array of many other well known artists i.e., Michael Bolton, Phil Perry, Willie Clayton, and Zora Young. Dee has also formed the Evolution Ensemble which is an acoustic group that consists of string instruments and percussion with a strong emphasis on original compositions.

Dee Alexander Quartet

Her talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B, from Blues to Neo-Soul. Yet her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through her performance of Jazz music. From a soft, sultry traditional ballad, to a contemporary Jazz-Funk groove; from a high flying swing, to a scat-filled romp, Dee Alexander delivers each style with a passion and love of music that comes across in each and every note, and with a style and grace that is truly her own. Besides being a phenomenal headliner in her own right, Dee has shared the stage with Ahmad Jamal, David Sanborn, Earl Klugh, Gerald Albright, Roy Ayers, Joshua Redman, and the O’Jays.

Vocalist

Dee Alexander

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 13 - Aug 9, 2026

Alexander Mclean Project · Jazz Showcase

Past events

Aug 25, 2025

Chicago Jazz Orchestra feat. Dee Alexander 2025 · Jazz Showcase

Feb 12, 2025

Dee Alexander Birthday Celebration - Alexander/ Mclean Project · Jazz Showcase

About

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