Jazz Articles about Dave Rempis

About Dave Rempis

Album Review

Rempis / Abrams / Ra + Baker: The Walls Of The Temple Are Made Of Sound

Read "The Walls Of The Temple Are Made Of Sound" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
October 30, 2026

Both Chicago architecture and Chicago jazz inspire images of beefy, mammoth structures. The city's skyscrapers, bridges and industrial-strength rhythms seem built to withstand even the harshest winter winds, the kind vocalist Lou Rawls dubbed “the hawk." The quartet of saxophonist Dave Rempis, pianist Jim Baker, bassist Joshua Abrams and drummer Avreeayl Ra trades in similarly brawny sounds on the two-disc The Walls Of The Temple Are Made Of Sound. The group's fifth release since 2016, it follows Scylla (Aerophonic Records, ...

Album Review

The Outskirts - Rempis/Flaten/Rosaly + Marta Warelis: Orbital

by Mark Corroto
April 25, 2026

The trio known as The Outskirts, comprised of saxophonist Dave Rempis, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Frank Rosaly, was formed during Flaten's three-year tenure in Chicago from 2005 to 2008. Since then, geography has scattered the group: Flaten moved on to Texas before returning to his native Norway, while Rosaly relocated to Amsterdam, where he has become deeply embedded in its creative music scene. During the trio's long hiatus, the three musicians continued to cross paths in other contexts, ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 9, 2026

When German alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier first explored Chicago jazz a few years ago--teaming with cellist Tomeka Reid on the striking Beyond Dragons (Intakt, 2023)--the collaboration sparked something unmistakably electric. Now comes Chicago Tapes,, recorded live at Transient Sound Studio. Here, Niescier dives headlong into the improvisational deep end of the city, enlisting an all-star lineup drawn from the restless creative core of Chicago's boundary-pushers. Niescier wields her alto alongside Dave Rempis, who toggles between alto and tenor ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
February 23, 2026

Continuing to solidify her reputation as a double-threat composer and improviser, alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier shines once again with Chicago Tapes, a superlative effort which sees her uniting with a number of the leading figures in the Windy City scene. The results are consistently riveting, showcasing these musicians in myriad ways and generating infectious synergy throughout. Niescier thrives in small-combo configurations, as she demonstrated convincingly on earlier outings like Beyond Dragons (Intakt, 2023) with cellist Tomeka Reid and ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
February 10, 2026

German saxophonist Angelika Niescier first connected with her musical compatriots during a visit to the U.S. Midwest in 2012, though it would take more than a decade for that relationship to fully crystallize on record. Even that timeline needs qualification. In 2023, she recorded Beyond Dragons in Chicago with cellist Tomeka Reid and California-born New York City>> drummer {{m: Savannah Harris. Still, her 2025 return to the Windy City for Chicago Tapes feels like both a culmination and a celebration, ...

Album Review

Rempis / Adasiewicz / Corsano: Dial Up

by Mark Corroto
December 15, 2025

Chicago has long been a magnet for creative musicians. Louis Armstrong left New Orleans for the Windy City in 1922, and Sun Ra arrived in 1945 to begin reshaping its musical landscape. Fast-forward to the 1990s, and Chicago welcomed saxophonist Dave Rempis, who quickly became a central force in the city's improvised-music scene. After emerging in the Vandermark 5, he established his voice through numerous groups, including The Rempis Percussion Quartet, The Engines, Kuzu, Ballister, and a vast network of ...

Album Review

Earscratcher - Rempis/Harnik/Lonberg-Holm/Daisy: Otoliths

Read "Otoliths" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
October 12, 2025

How do these four musicians--individually and collectively--manage to create music that is consistently compelling? Part of the answer lies in their versatility. Each is a formidable soloist, an accomplished bandleader and a sought-after collaborator in improvising ensembles. For Earscratcher, Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik joins forces with three longtime stalwarts of the Chicago scene: saxophonist Dave Rempis, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and drummer Tim Daisy. The Chicago contingent first forged their bond in the trailblazing Vandermark 5 and have since collaborated across ...