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Adam Shead
Adam Shead is an accomplished percussionist, composer, improviser, and performance curator based in Chicago. He frequently performs with the Stein/Smith/Shead trio, microplastique, and Cellular Chaos, and is a sought-after percussionist in the Chicago jazz and improvised music scene. For nearly a decade, Shead has curated performances at notable Chicago art galleries such as Slate Arts & Performance and Comfort Station, where he helps promote both emerging and established artists, enriching the local cultural landscape.
Shead has collaborated with prominent figures such as Marilyn Crispell, Roscoe Mitchell, Jason Stein, Damon Smith, John Dikeman, Angel Bat Dawid, Mary Oliver, and Molly Jones, amongst others. He has released music through various record labels, including Amalgam, Ears & Eyes, Scripts, Balance Point Acoustics, Shifting Paradigm, and Irritable Mystic. Shead is the founder and composer of the Adiaphora Orchestra, microplastique, and Adam Shead Quintet and works regularly as a sideman in such groups as Ben Zucker’s Fifth Season, the Jake Wark Quartet, and Undisclosed Sims. From 2018 to 2020 Shead curated and hosted the impro jam, a bi-weekly multi-disciplinary free improvisation jam session, at Slate Arts and Performance - from 2021 to 2022 the impro jam took place at Cafe Mustache.
In 2016, Shead served as an artist in residence for the Birdsell Project’s summer season in South Bend, IN, where he transformed the city's decommissioned hydroelectric plant into a site-specific interactive sound installation. In March 2018, he premiered an audio-visual performance and installation titled "The Presence of Stillness" at Slate Arts and Performance. This work incorporated climate change data, and footage of oil fracking and melting glaciers, alongside original music. In August 2021, Shead held his first solo exhibition of visual art at Birdhouse 606 in Chicago, IL. The exhibition, titled "In Limbo," featured his paintings, photography, and collages, complemented by a performance of his musical compositions.
Shead holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Columbia College Chicago, as well as a Master of Music in Contemporary Improvisation and a Graduate Certificate in Performance Studies from the University of Michigan.
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Keefe Jackson / Jakob Heinemann / Adam Shead: Stinger
by Mark Corroto
Stinger marks the debut release from the trio of saxophonist Keefe Jackson, bassist Jakob Heinemann and drummer Adam Shead. Yet, from the cohesion and interplay captured on this recording, it is clear these three musicians have collaborated extensively. The group exemplifies the Chicago ethos of collective creation--both in compositional approach and improvisational execution. Jackson and Heinemann each contribute three compositions, while Shead handles the sound mixing, graphic design, and overall production, underscoring the project's collaborative spirit. Jackson has ...
Continue ReadingMicroplastique: Blare Blow Bloom!
by Glenn Astarita
Blare Blow Bloom! by Microplastique, a Chicago-based contemporary music group, is a wild ride through the avant-garde jazz landscape. The album is a cacophony of sound that somehow manages to be both chaotic and harmonious, a testament to the artists' musical prowess and fearless creativity. The press release states: “Performing the compositions of band leader Adam Shead, Microplastique creates music that is both absurd in its aesthetic and serious in its execution." The album features selections from concerts in Cleveland, ...
Continue ReadingMicroplastique: Blare Blow Bloom!
by Lawrence Peryer
Chicago's experimental music scene welcomes a new voice as Microplastique, four multi-instrumentalists, release their debut album, Blare Blow Bloom! (Irritable Mystic Records), on December 6, 2024. Formed in April 2023, the group includes Ben Zucker, Molly Jones, Josh Harlow and Adam Shead, with Shead composing and leading. Blare Blow Bloom! documents Microplastique's July 2024 US tour. Ten tracks from shows in Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Lafayette, and Indianapolis display the group's talent for reshaping composed material through improvisation. Each ...
Continue ReadingJason Stein / Damon Smith / Adam Shead: Volumes & Surfaces
by Glenn Astarita
Jason Stein, a saxophonist with a penchant for pushing boundaries, brings his avant-garde sensibilities and razor-sharp technique to the fore in Volumes & Surfaces. Known for his dexterous command of the bass clarinet, Stein has made a name for himself in the jazz world with his innovative approach and fearless improvisation. His contributions to this album are no exception, as he seamlessly blends precision with spontaneity, creating a dynamic and engaging listening experience. Stein's work with the trio, alongside bassist ...
Continue ReadingJason Stein / Marilyn Crispell / Damon Smith / Adam Shead: spi-raling horn
by Glenn Astarita
spi-raling horn by these genre-destroying avant-garde jazz artists is a whirlwind journey through the vast landscapes of jazz, where the boundaries between tradition and innovation blur into a kaleidoscope of ultrasonic exploration. This album is not just a collection of tracks, but a sonic crusade led by a quartet of virtuosos who wield their instruments like sorcerers conjuring spells. From the start, listeners are transported into a realm where bass clarinet giant Jason Stein with legendary piano great ...
Continue ReadingJason Stein / Damon Smith / Adam Shead: Volumes & Surfaces
by Mark Corroto
Damon Smith might be the hardest working man in show business. Free-jazz show business, that is. If there is a performance or recording somewhere in the States or Europe, there is a very good chance his double bass is in attendance. You name an improvising artist and he's recorded with them, from Roscoe Mitchell to Joe Morris, Jaap Blonk, Joëlle Léandre, Peter Kowald, Sandy Ewen, Burton Greene, Joe McPhee, Fred Van Hove and Henry Kaiser. The list is practically endless. ...
Continue ReadingJake Wark Quartet: Scrawl
by Troy Dostert
A strong meeting of four of Chicago's leading improvisers, Scrawl is tenor saxophonist Jake Wark's second disc as a leader, after 2016's Tremor (Amalgam Music), which featured the talents of drummer Phil Haynes and bassist Drew Gress. The Chicago scene has long had a collectivist spirit, and it's on display here, as clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid, bassist Jakob Heinemann, and drummer Adam Shead bring their undeniable camaraderie to bear on five engaging Wark compositions. Wark's biting sound has ...
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