LONG BEACH, CA — Symphonic Jazz Orchestra (SJO), the nation’s premier hybrid orchestra blending the worlds of jazz and classical music, is thrilled to announce that Chanté Moore,the celebrated R&B singer/songwriter, has officially been added to the upcoming “Tribute to Maurice White” shows scheduled for May 9-10, 2026, at Long Beach’s Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
Moore joins the 68-member Symphonic Jazz Orchestra conducted by Mitch Glickman honoring the legacy of Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White with the world premiere of newly discovered orchestral music he composed 23 years ago. The concert program will also feature classic EWF songs interpreted for orchestra by jazz luminaries including John Clayton, Derrick Hodge, Vince Mendoza, Marshall Gilkes and Mitch Glickman.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Chanté Moore to our Tribute to Maurice White concert,” says Mitch Glickman, music director of Symphonic Jazz Orchestra. “Her addition elevates this event to a must-see concert, and we cannot wait for fans to hear what she has in store!”
The concert’s capstone is a remarkable story of rediscovery and artistic revival. PASSAGES was composed by White 23 years ago and believed to be lost to time. Shortly after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, then retiring from performing with Earth, Wind & Fire, White poured his considerable talents into writing and producing music. SJO music directors George Duke and Mitch Glickman commissioned White and his writing partner, Bill Meyers, to create a 10-minute work in 2003, which was filmed in a series of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Unfortunately, the project was never completed, and the original score, sketches and tracks were shelved. With renewed interest from an upcoming Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, a search for the archival video was successfully conducted, and the work was discovered in video footage shot during the creation of the piece. Meyers, who co-composed the work, painstakingly rebuilt the piece from the footage.This concert series marks the first opportunity for audiences to experience White’s powerful and expansive orchestral score that bridges eras and genres—capturing his creative spirit of its original moment while resonating freshly in the present day. “My father’s essence was always jazz at his core,” says KB White, son of Maurice White. “This resurrected piece is incredibly exciting because it brings him back to his foundation. What he created was a presentation of his spirit, and he wanted people to take their time with it, to truly explore it. For him, it was always about discovery.”…