by Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune “To guitarist Mike Allemana, who played in the quartet from 1997 until Freeman’s death in 2012, the elder jazzman’s husky sound wasn’t just singular: It bore witness to decades of Chicago’s musical history. Freeman got his start playing in swing bands as a precocious preteen, came of age during hard … Read More
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune “..they’ve created an unusually atmospheric album built on gorgeous melodic phrases, shimmering tone colors and pervasive subtlety..” Read the full review here.
By Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Savvy listeners already know that Chicago pianist-composer Cohan has a well-honed gift for writing long-form jazz compositions. It reaches a high point in “Originations,” Read the full article here.
From Ravi Coltrane to Freddy Cole, 2019′s best jazz performances in Chicago by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Greg Ward and Rogue Parade, Jan. 11 at the Green Mill Jazz Club Saxophonist Greg Ward, who presented a full-scale reimagining of Charles Mingus’ “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady” in Millennium Park last summer, will play … Read More
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune The title evokes the rambunctious spirit of saxophonist Ward’s album, but there’s more to this music than just its high-level energy. Ward’s unusual instrumentation, unorthodox sonorities and intricately layered music-making give listeners a great deal to ponder amid all the hyperactive improvisation. Ward’s signature tone on alto – keen and … Read More
Chicago’s Greg Ward leads a brilliant Rogue Parade art Green Mill; a farewell to Joseph Jarman by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Chicago saxophonist Greg Ward says he got the name for his newest band – Rogue Parade – from a podcast he heard. Whatever the source, the title seemed just right Friday night at the Green … Read More
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Matt Ulery: “Sifting Stars” (Woolgathering Records). The mystical quality of Chicago bassist-composer Ulery’s music never fails to cast its spell, regardless of the size or character of the ensemble in question. Here Ulery leads a large group with strings, reeds and horns, plus the other worldly vocals of Grazyna Auguscik and the … Read More
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Music always resonates in Hyde Park, but over the weekend it was practically ubiquitous. The 12th annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival was the reason, musicians performing in far-flung venues, from churches to concert halls to the great outdoors. Following is one listener’s diary of some of Saturday’s events, which kicked off … Read More
Hannah Steinkopf-Frank, Chicago Tribune As her music explores classical, pop, jazz and hip-hop, harpist Brandee Younger classifies herself as simply a contemporary musician. Younger will perform at Lyon & Healy Hall on June 7 and at Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 29. RedEye chatted with the harpist about her high-profile collaborations and why the … Read More
Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Generations of kids grew up watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and its star — Fred Rogers — appears ascendant once again in our culture. A documentary of the same name premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and Tom Hanks is set to play Rogers in the feature film “You Are My … Read More
