Paul Giallorenzo's GitGO
Paul Giallorenzo - piano, composition
Mars Williams - reeds
Jeb Bishop - trombone
Anton Hatwich - bass
Marc Riordan - drums

GitGO: On Your Marks

Nick Mazzarella - alto saxophone, composer
Anton Hatwich - bass
Frank Rosaly - drums

Nick Mazzarella Trio: Aviary

Both extremely active members of Chicago’s improvised music scene, Toby Summerfield and Jaimie Branch have played together in a number of collaborations Sherpa, Battlecats, and the trio Princess Princess, who will be performing next Monday at the Skylark.

The venue has a close connection for the members, Branch, Summerfield, and drummer, Frank Rosaly.  They played as a house band at the Skylark for over two years beginning in 2005.  When the owners began to waver over the profitability of free jazz, Branch and Rosaly stepped in to convince them to move to a weekly schedule, and the Ratchet Series was born.  It now serves as a regular showcase for the evolving cast of collaborations and projects in the Chicago improvised music scene.

This fall, the group is finally releasing their first album, Kentucky Princess, a live recording made at the Hideout in 2007.  Listen to more of Branch and Summerfield’s stories, as well as their in-studio performance here.

Note that the recording does not include the track, “Rixon (U-GOD),” with Branch on vocals, but you can find it on the band’s website. 

Toby Summerfield and Jaimie Branch WNUR 20120723

Josh Sclar - tenor saxophone, Greg Ward - alto saxophone, Jason Ajemian - bass, Charles Rumback - drums, composition

Charles Rumback_We Left Green Briar Park

Gyasi Kamau Interview

On January 22, 2013, vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz was absent for KLANG's performance, because he was giving birth to a new baby.  This performance of "It Felt As If Time Had Stopped" from that night is a rededication of James Falzone's grief-conceived piece to the new life of Penelope Mae Adasiewicz, featuring Russ Johnson on trumpet, Jason Roebke on bass, Tim Daisy on drums, and Falzone himself on clarinet.

It Felt As If Time Had Stopped (live 1.22.13 @ Bar DeVille)

On December 18, 2012, the Jason Stein Quartet was slated at Bar DeVille, but a scheduling conflict created uncertainty as to whether saxophonist Keefe Jackson would be able to make it.

At hit time, there were only three - bass clarinetist Jason Stein, bassist Joshua Abrams, and drummer Frank Rosaly - so they opened the night with a freely improvised trio set.

During the set break, their fourth man Keefe Jackson arrived, fresh from a recording session where he'd been warming his chops all evening.  This blazing version of "Badlands," prefaced by Abrams's excellent solo bass, was the first song of the second set and the first heard of the full quartet on that night.

Jason Stein Quartet - Badlands (live 12.18.12 at Bar DeVille)

S.O.S.
James Sanders and the Kevin O'Connell Trio
Blue Violin: A Jazz Legacy


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