Results for "John Wojciechowski"

John Wojciechowski

Saxophonist John Wojciechowski is an urban musician through and through. He grew up and developed his powerful tenor sound in Detroit—“a really rich community with a lot of great players,” he says—and since 2002 has thrived in Chicago, working alongside some of the best players in the city. So why does he live way the heck out in the Windy City’s western suburbs in a place called Bartlett—where it takes a good half-hour to even reach one of the highways leading into the city? And does being so far away from the action have an impact on his music? The answer to the first question is that “Wojo,” as he is known, teaches high school in the historic river town of St

New Standard Jazz Orchestra: Waltz About Nothing

By JACK BOWERS

Any orchestra that professes to establish a new standard had better be able to back that up. Happily for the listener, on its debut recording, Waltz About Nothing, Chicago's New Standard Jazz Orchestra can--and does. In a little more than two years, the NSJO has arisen as a worthy successor to one of the more exemplary ...

Focus

By JOHN WOJCIECHOWSKI

Label: Origin Records
Released: 2015
Track listing: Focus; Call Of The Kingdom; Summon The Elders; Ternary; Elegy; Twirl; Evidence; Divided Man; The Listener; In Your Own Sweet Way.

John Wojciechowski: Focus

By DAN BILAWSKY

Every now and then you encounter a musician who has it together in so many ways, yet has largely managed to avoid national recognition. Saxophonist John Wojciechowski is one such player. While those with strong enough memories might recall that the Michigan-bred Wojciechowski took third place--behind Jon Gordon and Jimmy Greene--at the 1996 ...

Ian Torres Big Band: January

By JACK BOWERS

In the interest of brevity, the name of Chicago-based trumpeter Ian Torres' debut album as shown above has been abridged. For the record, the complete title is January: The Birth and Development of the Ian Torres Big Band. The “Birth" is depicted in the first five numbers, recorded in 2008-09, “Development" in the last half-dozen, recorded ...

In Tune or Not in Tune... That Is the Question

By JACK BOWERS

Suppose a month goes by, you have a column to publish, but nothing has happened that's worth writing about. What do you do then? Read on, as the question is about to be answered. A while back there was a discussion at a Stan Kenton web site (Kentonia) about musicians or groups of ...

Arturo Sandoval Live in Evanston with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra

By THOMAS CARROLL

Arturo Sandoval with the Chicago Jazz OrchestraPick-Staiger Concert HallNorthwestern University Soundings Spring FestivalEvanston, ILApril 7, 2012Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval says he's happy some people still listen to music made by musicians playing instruments. In an age when people can download songs for 99 cents without knowing who arranged the songs ...

Ryan Cohan/Geof Bradfield: Chicago, IL, August 11, 2011

By ALEX MARIANYI

Ryan Cohan, Geof BradfieldMillennium Park Pritzker Pavilion Chicago, ILAugust 11, 2011 The heat wave broke in Chicago and, weather-wise, the night was shaping up to be one of the best all summer. African Journeys, featuring Ryan Cohan and Geof Bradfield, began as saxophonist Bradfield's group took the stage to perform his ...

Chicago Yestet: Jazz Is Politics?

By ALEX MARIANYI

For an introduction to the Chicago jazz scene, look no further than the Chicago Yestet's line-up on Jazz Is Politics?. From drummer Dana Hall (Terell Stafford) to John Wojciechowski, a finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition, the roster reads like a who's who in Midwestern jazz. Staying true to the album's ...