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Sound & Gravity: Chicago's New Home For Poignant Creative Music
by Hrayr Attarian
The inaugural 2025 edition of the ambitious Sound & Gravity Festival took place from September 10th through September 14th at seven different venues on Chicago's Northwest Side. Over 50 musicians, from several countries, performed works spanning genres from contemporary Western classical to jazz, experimental music, and indie rock. The not-for-profit Constellation Performing Arts, which drummer Mike ...
Gustavo Cortiñas: A Jazz Drummer's Call To Action
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on drummer and composer Gustavo Cortiñas.Gustavo's latest album, The Crisis Knows No Borders (Desafío Candente Records), tackles climate change head-on through music that's both urgent and beautiful. Working with guitarist Dave Miller, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, and violinist Mark Feldman, he's created compositions that explore how global warming sparks conflicts, drives ...
'Many Moons' The New Album By Trumpeter Markus Rutz
Markus Rutz & Third Coast Sounds announce Many Moons, the latest musical expression from the well—regarded trumpeter and composer. The new work is the ninth album from Rutz following the recent albums Storybook (2023) and Penumbra (2024) and features music in small group recorded with contemporaries from the Chicago scene. The ensemble sound is reminiscent of ...
Sharel Cassity: In the Spirit
by Katchie Cartwright
Even on an old familiar tune like Charlie Chaplin's “Smile" (1936), it is clear from note one that Sharel Cassity is a child of Bird, an altoist in the modernist tradition of Charlie Parker. Her first influence was actually her biological father, an organist, with whom she shared the stage in New Orleans at age 11, ...
Mbizo: A Gathering For Johnny Dyani
by Ngwako Malakalaka
Chicagoan Adam Zanolini, is a an ethnomusicologist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader whose work embodies the deep and ever-evolving legacy of black creative music. In a collaboration with the players and composers of the mighty AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and Chimurenga SA, they celebrate the music and philosophy of Johnny Mbizo ...
Cary Baker: Adventures In Busking And Street Music
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On Cary Baker, author of Down on the Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music (Jawbone Press, 2024). The music you hear on street corners and subway platforms has its untold history, and at age 16, Cary Baker followed a slide guitar's haunting melody through Chicago's Maxwell Street Market to ...
Chicago's Joanie Pallatto And Bradley Parker-Sparrow Release New Album, 'Song'
Duets for voice and piano from vocalist-composer Joanie Pallatto and pianist-composer Bradley Parker-Sparrow. These twelve tracks of original music and Lyrics create a mood of intimacy, improvisation and reflection. Their personal songs of harmonizing energy are presented as the first duet recording released from Chicago's renowned couple, featuring gentle songs, swinging grooves, scat singing and expansive ...
New Live Recording From Trumpeter Chad McCullough on Calligram Records
Reflecting on In these hills, beyond , trumpeter and composer Chad McCullough says “this album is a celebration of life, but it wasn't planned that way. I just wanted to play great music with my friends, as lofty a goal as I have most of the time. However, the recent passing of my grandfather added more ...
Take Five with Bassist / Composer Andrew Vogt
by AAJ Staff
Meet Andrew Vogt Chicago-based bassist/composer Andrew Vogt has written original pieces and arrangements for the all-female led ATLYS String Quartet, EDM artist Seven Lions, '80s hit machine Tom Kelly and electric jazz ensemble Bonzo Squad. As a sideman, he has worked with jazz legends such as Randy Brecker, Bob Reynolds, Ernie Watts and Donny McCaslin as ...
Jahari Stampley: Winner of The 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute Competition
by Hrayr Attarian
Chicago-based pianist Jahari Stampley is a prodigious talent who has won, among other accolades, the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. Born into a musical family (his mother D'Erania is an innovative multi-instrumentalist and educator), Stampley took up music at age 10. His self-released 2023 debut Still Listening features several up-and-coming young talents ...
