Nick Mazzarella

With “an individual tone sounding much older than his years, and a penchant for rugged melodies” (JazzTimes), alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella is one of the critical figures of Chicago's creative music vanguard. Over the last twenty-five years, he has made an aesthetically unique contribution grounded in rigorous craftsmanship to the city’s historic culture of jazz and improvised music. He “is one of the most versatile musicians on the scene, equally adept at riding a stout groove, delineating a potent melody, or generating powerful free improvisations; [through the] lyricism that lies at the heart of Mazzarella's playing, even at his most bracing moments, there is a pathway into an emotional register which makes his music consistently compelling” (All About Jazz). By “covering a breadth of stylistic terrain” and presenting his “uncompromising vision with grace and precision” (Corbett vs. Dempsey), he has forged an independent voice, championing form, legibility, and intuition over conceptual frameworks.

His eponymous trio, quartet, and quintet projects have served as the primary vehicles for his work as an improviser, composer, and bandleader, while as a collaborator or sideman he has performed and recorded with numerous artists including: Joshua Abrams, Silvia Bolognesi, Geof Bradfield, Ari Brown, Hamid Drake, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Dana Hall, Quin Kirchner, Rob Mazurek, Makaya McCraven, Avreeayl Ra, Mike Reed, Tomeka Reid, and Clark Sommers. To date, Mazzarella has appeared on over forty albums, including more than a dozen as a leader. Recordings of his original music have been released by Corbett vs. Dempsey, Nessa, International Anthem, Astral Spirits, and Clean Feed. He has performed throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in Africa and the Middle East, forging particularly fruitful international collaborations in Scandinavia and Italy.

In addition to his work as a saxophonist, Mazzarella curated over seven hundred jazz and improvised music concerts between 2008 and 2023 on two long-running concert series in Chicago: the Ratchet Series (2008-2023), and the Anagram Series (2015-2023). He completed an apprenticeship in woodwind instrument repair from 2011 to 2018, and is the fabricator for acclaimed, high-end guitar pickup company Duneland Labs. As a commissioned woodworker, he has built custom cabinets, furniture, gallery installations, bench goods, and treenware.

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