archive

oct 3

caroline davis quartet
caroline davis - alto sax

marquis hill - trumpet

john sutton - bass

jeremy cunningham - drums
Born in Singapore to European parents, Caroline Davis has been exposed to a diversity of life experiences. Musical and academic worlds collided for her in Texas, where she studied jazz and psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, after which she moved to Chicago in 2004 to pursue a Ph.D in Music Cognition.

Caroline has received a wide range of accolades including a Downbeat outstanding soloist award (2006), an outstanding Graduate Student presentation (2005 Performance Matters Conference in Portugal), and performances with Sisters in Jazz as a part of IAJE (2005).

On the creative performance front, Caroline has performed with various groups including Zing!, Pedway, Tomorrow Music Orchestra, James Davis Quintet, and Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls. In addition, she frequently performs at private functions with her trio, that plays jazz standards from the Great American songbook.
oct 10

toby summerfield triotoby summerfield - guitaranton hatwich - bassquin kirchner - drums

summerfield lists his engagements like this; composer, improviser, collaborator. but if you ask him, he’ll say that all three are part of a larger whole. in composing he imagines the commentary and criticism of the musicians who will eventually perform the music. in improvising he seeks to contribute to the whole of the music, with an ear towards shape and construction. as a collaborator, whether in the creative/free community or the rock community, he seeks to contribute to the music in a present, engaged and challenging way. somewhere he heard a simplified interpretation of “harmelodics” which went like this; “the melody is responsible only to itself.” whether it’s the official harmelodics party line or not, that is the stance he takes in his improvising trio. or maybe a more proactive interpretation; “the melody must be responsible to itself.” sometimes the music shows up and it’s right. sometimes you have to push it around.

sometimes the music shows up ripe and you have to devour it right away. sometimes you have to put it in a paper bag and have it in the second set.

oct 17

everypeople songmusic and lyrics by mikel patrick avery mary lawson - vocalsaaron shapiro - banjojohn sutton - cello
nicholas gajewski - bass
mikel avery - drums
oct 24

photo - kelly weime

damon short groupryan shultz - bass trumpet
mitch paliga - saxophone
paul hartsaw - saxophone
anton hatwich - bass
damon short - drums
oct 31
sliptidejaimie branch - trumpet
toby summerfield - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
tim daisy - drums
 sept 5 

josh berman's ale house

josh berman - cornet

matt schneider - guitar

jason roebke - bass

on the second set:

add special guest frank rosaly - drums

sept 12

darts and arrows
 
bill mackay - guitar

quin kirchner - drums

kyle hernandez - bass

ben boye - keyboard

darts & arrows grew out of guitarist-songwriter bill mackay's embryonic vision for a folk group, playing their 1st gig at south union arts in chicago in 2006. that vision quickly expanded and swelled as the band's surreal folk sense was shaded by experimental rock and free improvisation: the dark and woodsy acoustic early lineup has turned more fiery electric. so far the band has one independent album under its belt: bill mackay and darts & arrows (2010 son of fire recordings).

listening to those records [broken things/swim to the river and bill mackay and sounds of now] i hear a musician working hard to define himself and create an original sound...listening to the recent self-titled debut by his ensemble darts & arrows, which he started in 2006, i hear a musician who's succeeded in doing just that.
peter margasak post no bills, the chicago reader
 
[darts & arrows is a] chicago quartet that takes folk/pop instrumentals and turns them into improvised explorations. instrumental pop music – if such a thing can exist – is rare to hear played live, and played well, rarer still, but mackay’s compositions are much more nuanced than your typical jamband.
WNUR 89.3

sept 19

MIKROKOLEKTYW

artur majewski - trumpet

kuba suchar - drums/electronics
set 2
majewski/stein/abrams/suchar quartet
artur majewski - trumpet
jason stein - bass clarinet
joshua abrams - bass kuba suchar - drums

MIKROKOLEKTYW have been making waves on the european music scene for the past 6 years. known for their high energy, electronics driven, acoustic jazz the duo of drummer kuba suchar and trumpeter artur majewski came together from the ashes of the polish jazz supergroup robotobibok.

as a duo their stripped down style has become almost impressionistic, organically building compositions from improvisational elements. having shared the stage with chicago jazz heavy weights like fred anderson, nicole mitchell, and rob mazurek’s exploding star orchestra, not to mention international artists matmos, fennesz, zu, tied and tickled trio, and sao paulo underground, mikrokolektyw have performed at some of the world’s greatest music and arts festivals including chicago’s world music festival, unsound festival - krakow, depresja, off festival, STIMUL, and eurosonic festival.
brought to you in part by the polish cultural institute of new york

sept 26

new fracture trio

dave miller - guitar/electronics
jake vinsel - bass
tim daisy - drums

the new fracture trio is a chicago group organized in 2007 and includes three of Chicago’s most in demand improvisers. the music is inspired by a wide range of music from all over the world including american and european jazz and improvised music, traditional folk music from parts of africa and indonesia, 20th century compositional techniques, and various forms of rock, noise and electronic music.

august 1

paul hartsaw trio

paul hartsaw - reeds
alex wing - bassd
amon shot - drums

the latest incarnation of paul hartsaw’s Trio, featuring alex wing on bass and damon short on drums, expands upon his previous work by introducing unconventional notation and procedures to further explore improvisational possibilities.

august 8

james falzone's klang

james falzone - clarinet
jason adasiewicz - vibraphone
jason roebke - bass
tim daisy - drums

clarinetist/composer james falzone founded klang for a pending january 2006 gig at a now-defunct improvised music series in chicago. he used that opportunity to recruit three other mainstays of the city's creative music scene he had always wanted to work with, jason adasiewicz, jason roebke and tim daisy. driven by their common interests in the clarinetvibes sound and the vast musical legacy of the legendary jimmy giuffre, the quartet has worked together ever since, performing at prominent festivals, series and venues around the country.

august 15

read the reader preview by peter margasak here

tim haldeman/keefe jackson combination

tim haldeman - tenor sax

keefe jackson - tenor sax

michael avery - drums
jake vinsel - bass

since 1997, saxophonist tim haldeman has been performing, recording, and touring with some of chicago's premiere jazz groups, including mike reed's people places and things, and matt ulery's loom. currently based in ann arbor, haldeman has recently been leading his own trios and quartets, groups that experiment with modern and traditional approaches to composition and improvisation.

sharing a deep appreciation for the great tenor tradition, saxophonists keefe jackson and tim haldeman unite for a blowing session in celebration of their favorites. the groups repetoire consists of seldom heard bebop, ballads, and blues songs, all of which are enriched by the mellow combination of the two tenor men.

here's the preview of their performance by peter margasak:

Tenor saxophonist Tim Haldeman moved to Ann Arbor a couple of years ago, but because he's still a member of Matt Ulery's Loom and Mike Reed's People, Places & Things, he maintains a regular presence here. What Chicagoans don't get to see so often anymore is Haldeman in an informal, ad hoc group—which is one reason this one-off partnership with fellow reedist Keefe Jackson is so exciting. Both players are tradition-minded explorers who bring a keen historical sensibility to even their most outward-bound playing, and for this show they're joined by bassist Jake Vinsel and drummer Mikel Avery. Haldeman and Jackson will contribute original tunes to a carefully chosen slate of overlooked bebop and blues gems, including songs associated with Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Julian Priester, Jackie McLean, and Baby Face Willette. —Peter Margasak

haugust 22

marquis hill blacktet

marquis hill - trumpet

josh johnson - alto sax

nate baker - guitar

patrick mulcahy - bass

jeremy cunningham - drums

at age 24, marquis hill is already a well-known name on the chicago jazz scene. after retrieving a bachelors degree in music education/jazz studies and studying privately at northern illinois university, he started performing heavily in chicago. he has performed with artist such as: dee alexander, tito carrillo, bobby broom, willie pickens, ron perrillo, victor garcia, benny golson, antonio hart, rodney whitaker, steve turre , ernest dawkins, maurice brown, corey wilkes, willerm delisfort, brian lynch and many others. he has toured the U.S and abroad with many different artist and groups; sirens of sound, The delisfort project, chicago 12, bebop brass, ronald carter big band and new horzions.

august 29

frank rosaly's green and gold

(playing the music of prince lasha and sonny simmons)

cameron pfiffner - reeds

nick mazzarella - reeds

tomeka reid - cello

anton hatwich - bass

frank rosaly - drums

frank rosaly's green and gold will be exploring the collaborative efforts of prince lasha and sonny simmons by way of their 1968 recording, firebirds (contemporary s 7617). below is a recent preview for green and gold's premiere performance earlier this year from critic peter margasak:

tonight at the skylark, superb local percussionist frank rosaly debuts a good-looking quintet called Green and Gold, which he formed to play the music made in the 60s by the duo of reedists prince lasha and sonny simmons. lasha, best known as a flute player, was born in forth worth, texas, but moved to california in the 50s, alongside fellow free-jazz travelers and former texans like ornette coleman, john carter, and bobby bradford. he died in 2008, and sadly he's been all but forgotten. last year dusty groove reissued his album insight, a 1966 date recorded live in london.

simmons, who grew up in the bay area, has also been overlooked in jazz histories, but he's a superb post-coleman alto saxophonist (and one of the few jazz musicians to play the english horn). In addition to working with lasha, he made some great albums for esp-disk and contemporary. simmons no longer plays like he did at his peak in the 60s, but in the past few years he's put out a few new albums on the jazzaway label, run by norwegian reedist jon klette.

green and gold features rosaly, reedists nick mazzarella and cameron pfiffner (the underrated coleader of the sabertooth quartet), cellist tomeka reid, and bassist anton hatwich. tonight the group will focus on compositions from the excellent 1963 album the cry! (Contemporary). rosaly plans to tackle the music from the other key prince lasha/sonny simmons album, 1967's firebirds, down the road.

july 4

the sticky banyans (from florida)
matt carroll - drums
sam yulsman - piano
dion kerr - bass

one year ago, this trio from florida combined to form the sticky banyans. the inauguration of this new trio was based on the group’s collective desire to re-envision, and re-interpret the soundscape of the jazz trio. this began by improvising by interpreting the growth of a tree from a seedling to a thick trunked, lushly canopied forest giant.

jul 11

dominic lash quartet

nick mazzarella - alto saxophone
jeff parker - guitar
dominic lash - bass
tim daisy - drums

dominic lash is a double bassist active in many spheres of improvised and experimental music. based for many years in oxford, UK, where he helped to resurrect the oxford improvisers cooperative (including musicians such as pat thomas, pete mcphail and phil wachsmann), he is currently living in new york city. he has performed with tony conrad (in duo and quartet formations), evan parker (duo, quartet and large ensemble) and the late steve reid. current projects include the dominic lash quartet; the set ensemble (an experimental music group mainly focusing on the work of the Wandelweiser composers collective); the convergence quartet with taylor ho bynum, harris eisenstadt and alexander hawkins; a trio with john butcher and john russell; and a duo with patrick farmer.

jul 18

alejandro urzagaste quartet

alejandro urzagaste - guitar
ron perillo - piano
dennis carroll - bass
george fludas - drums

guitarist alejandro urzagaste is joined by the rhythm section of dennis carroll on bass, george fludas,drums and ron perrillo on keyboard. The quartet will be performing music from the "urban intervals," record. having been a cohesive unit for over a decade, the ron perrillo trio has played with many of jazz's legends including von freeman, ira sullivan, ron blake and bobby broom.

jul 25

photo by bryan thompson

cameron pfiffner qt.

cameron pfiffner - reeds
marquis hill-- trumpet
tim fitzgerald - guitar
doug hayes - bass

june  2011
 
jun 6

steve marquette quintet
keefe jackson - tenor
jeb bishop - trombone
steve marquette - guitar
daniel thatcher - bass
lucas gillian - drums

guitarist and composer steve marquette (b.1987) moved to chicago in 2006 where he pursued his passion for music at depaul university (bm '10) and augmented his formal education by studying composition and improvisation with ken vandermark, jeff parker and mars williams. since completing school steve has been an active member of chicago's thriving free jazz and improvised music community where he regularly leads his own quintet and performs in groups including luminaries jeb bishop, keefe jackson, steve hunt, anton hatwich, jaimie branch, nick mazzarella and lucas gillan.

the steve marquette quintet (formed 2010) features the talents of chicagoans jeb bishop (trombone), keefe jackson (reeds), anton hatwich (bass), steve marquette (guitar) and lucas gillan (drums). though primarily showcasing marquette's compositions, their democratic nature provide a vehicle for all the musicians to showcase their unique voices and conceptions. drawing upon the leaders eclectic spirit, the quintet brings together elements of free jazz, collective improvisation, noise/rock, and other strains of the jazz tradition. a group capable of producing moments of frightening power and striking sensitivity, this quintet is quickly becoming one of the more active groups among the latest crop of chicago improvisers.

jun 13

jake vinsel's horse-fire
nick mazzarella - alto saxophone
dave miller - guitar
jake vinsel -bass and compositions
tim daisy - drums

jake vinsel is a chicago based bassist/educator. he is most often found playing in straight ahead jazz ventures, but is constantly playing in conglomerates of varying styles. he studied music at northern illinois university and uic. He has performed, toured, or recorded with: nomo, clyde stubblefield, jeff parker, pete zimmer, dan nimmer, the chicago jazz orchestra, the chicago childrens choir and others. he is currently a member of: zona sul, tim daisy's falling leaves, the jordan baskin trio, ted sirotas rebel souls, the mike smith quartet, and the scott burns quartet.

horse-fire is tim daisy on drums, dave miller on guitar, nick mazzerella on alto saxophone, and jake vinsel on basses and keyboard. this project was loosely conceptalized around the mayan horoscope and geometric drawings through the circle of fifths, but in no way is meant to evoke any cultural expression. the first set is a process of keys, motives, and themes, and alternately has areas that are highly composed, and areas for free improvization. the second set is organized around the theme of "the borderlands", and contains music related to, or inspired by, the u.s./mexico borderland.

jun 20

special two-set grouping

set 1:john niekrasz
john niekrasz - solo percussion

set 2:
anton hatwich trio
jaimie branch - trumpet
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums

the anton hatwich trio was formed in 2010. its regular members are jaimie branch on trumpet, anton hatwich on bass, and frank rosaly on drums. the band plays all original material composed by the bandleader. the music is influenced by the work of ellington and monk, as well as sun ra, henry threadgill, steve lacy, and jimmy giuffre. the compositions favor an open-ended harmonic approach, yet are structurally devised to encourage focused melodic development.

john niekrasz is a drummer, composer, writer, and teacher from chicago now living in portland. he earned his MFA in poetry from the iowa writers' workshop and is a disciple of hindustani tabla master pandit lachu maharaj. john performs on drumset with such ensembles as sporting, why i must be careful, thicket, and poor school. his work struggles with the spectra of poverty and ornament, rigor and effortlessness, justice and militancy. he has collaborated and performed with such artists as fred lonberg-holm, john butcher, john wiese, wally shoup, john gruntfest, foug theriault, mika singh, nate wooley, shamsher mehndi, thollem mcdonas, akron/family, arrington de dionyso, and tatsuya nakatani.

jun 27

toby summerfield trio
toby summerfield - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
quin kirchner - drums

summerfield lists his engagements like this; composer, improviser, collaborator. but if you ask him, he’ll say that all three are part of a larger whole. in composing he imagines the commentary and criticism of the musicians who will eventually perform the music. in improvising he seeks to contribute to the whole of the music, with an ear towards shape and construction. as a collaborator, whether in the creative/free community or the rock community, he seeks to contribute to the music in a present, engaged and challenging way. somewhere he heard a simplified interpretation of “harmelodics” which went like this; “the melody is responsible only to itself.” whether it’s the official harmelodics party line or not, that is the stance he takes in his improvising trio. or maybe a more proactive interpretation; “the melody must be responsible to itself.” sometimes the music shows up and it’s right. sometimes you have to push it around.

sometimes the music shows up ripe and you have to devour it right away. sometimes you have to put it in a paper bag and have it in the second set.

MAY 2011


may 2

flytrap
jaimie branch - trumpet
marc riordan - piano
anton hatwich - bass
charles rumback - drums


may 9


paul gialorenzo quartet
paul giallorenzo - electric piano
jeff parker - guitar
toby summerfield - electric bass
charles rumback - drums


Born and raised in NY, Paul Giallorenzo is a Chicago-based improviser, composer, and sound designer using piano, synthesizer, and electronics in a wide variety of groups and contexts, ranging from jazz and improvised music to electro-acoustic / noise. Current projects include GitGO (482 Music, free jazz compositions); Breakway (Friends and Relatives, electro/acoustic improvising trio with electronicist Brian Labycz and drummer Marc Riordan); Masul (Creative Sources Recordings, duo with Swiss composer/bass saxophonist Thomas Mejer); The Telegraph Series (Augmented Records, synth-pop duo with drummer/vocalist Allison Stanley); and a piano trio featuring Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Tim Daisy.


may 16


stirrup
fred lonberg-holm - cello
nick macri - bass
charles rumback - drums

stirrup is fred lonberg-holm (cello), nick macri (bass), and charles rumback (drums). the three first played together as “the shimmering rhythm section of the horse’s ha,” [time out chicago] and decided to form their own trio in 2009 to explore deep grooves, moody harmonies, and extended structures. a true collective, all three write and arrange for the band with influences as varied as the list of bands and musicians stirrup’s members have worked with including via tania, ken vandermark, mark eitzel, wilco, liz phair, anthony braxton, hector zazou, l’altra, and boxhead ensemble.
(from whistlerchicago.com)

may 23


church friends
keenan foley - alto saxophone
adam thornburg - trombone
daniel van duerm - piano/e. piano
collin o'malley - Bass
brendan mcalinden - drum set


church friends, founded by pianist daniel van duerm, focuses on and explores post jazz and free jazz concepts inspired by the improvised music scene in chicago. the ensemble was originally conceived as a studio project for the benefit of young engineers at columbia college. comprising of some finest emerging improvisers in chicago, church friends has included varying line up including brendan mcalinden (drums/percussion), colin o'malley (bass), luc parcell (electric bass), keenan foley (alto saxophone), sara earhart (trumpet), and adam thornburg (trombone).

in an attempt to bring together all friends from "the church of That music," arrangements and compositions are written to accommodate larger and smaller ensembles beyond that of the main quartet and their instruments all while incorporating improvised music that explores the sonic possibilities of the instrumentation.


may 30


matt schneider triomatt schneider - guitar
devin hoff - bass
frank rosaly - drums

incorporating traditional and modern sound, matt schneider is a guitarist with a unique and refreshing approach: no small task considering the instrument's protracted history in modern music. mr. schneider is confident as both a collaborator and as a leader, though you may not know it considering there are far too few representative recordings available of his work.

this collaboration, along with bassist devin hoff and drummer frank rosaly, recently recorded original music by schneider. this evening's performance will highlight some of those songs, as well as a few standards and perhaps some free blowing.

"matt schneider is a nuanced stylist adept at understated sentiments..." --troy collins, aaj.com

APRIL 2011

april 4

dave bryant trio

dave bryant (boston) - piano

devin hoff - bass

marc riordan - drums

april 11

paul hartsaw trio

paul hartsaw - reeds

alex wing - bass

damon short - drums


april 18


nick mazzarella trio

nick mazzarella - reeds

anton hatwich - bass

frank rosaly - drums

april 25

charles rumback's hard times trio

doug rosenberg - reeds

john tate - bass

charles rumback - drums

MARCH 2011

march 7

bill mackay's darts and arrows

bill mackay - guitar

quin kirchner - drums

kyle hernandez - bass

ben boye - piano

march 14

ernest dawkins new horizons ensemble (CD RELEASE PARTY)
ernest dawkins - alto

marquis hill - trumpet

steve barry - trombone

junius paul - bass

isaiah spencer - drums

march 21

damon short qroup

ryan shultz - bass trumpet

mitch paliga & paul hartsaw - reeds

anton hatwich - bass

damon short - drums

march 28

alejandro urzagaste trioalejandro urzagaste -guitar

dennis carroll - bass

george fludas - drums

FEBRUARY 2011

JANUARY 2011

jan 3
tres hongos


jacob wick - trumpet
marc riordan - piano
frank rosaly - drums


jan 10
keefe jackson quartet


keefe jackson - reeds
cameron pfiffner - reeds
josh abrams -bass
dave williams - drums


jan 17
ed ricart (DC)


ed ricart - guitar
devin hoff - bass
tim daisy -drums


jan 24
patrick breiner bass quartet


patrick breiner (WI) - saxophones
anton hatwich - bass
dan thatcher - bass
quin kirchner - drums


jan 31
frank rosaly's green and gold
cameron pfiffner - reeds
nick mazzarella - reeds
tomeka reid - cello
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums
here's the preview of the show from peter margasak:
Frank Rosaly and the Lost Sounds of Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons

Tonight at the Skylark, superb local percussionist Frank Rosaly debuts a good-looking quintet called Green and Gold, which he formed to play the music made in the 60s by the duo of reedists Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons. Lasha, best known as a flute player, was born in Forth Worth, Texas, but moved to California in the 50s, alongside fellow free-jazz travelers and former Texans like Ornette Coleman, John Carter, and Bobby Bradford. He died in 2008, and sadly he's been all but forgotten. Last year Dusty Groove reissued his album Insight, a 1966 date recorded live in London. Simmons, who grew up in the Bay Area, has also been overlooked in jazz histories, but he's a superb post-Coleman alto saxophonist (and one of the few jazz musicians to play the English horn). In addition to working with Lasha, he made some great albums for ESP-Disk and Contemporary. Simmons no longer plays like he did at his peak in the 60s, but in the past few years he's put out a few new albums on the Jazzaway label, run by Norwegian reedist Jon Klette.
Green and Gold features Rosaly, reedists Nick Mazzarella and Cameron Pfiffner (the underrated coleader of the Sabertooth Quartet), cellist Tomeka Reid, and bassist Anton Hatwich. Tonight the group will focus on compositions from the excellent 1963 album The Cry! (Contemporary). Rosaly plans to tackle the music from the other key Prince Lasha/Sonny Simmons album, 1967's Firebirds, down the road.

DECEMBER 2010

NOVEMBER 2010

nov 1

dut+chi+taly collective

jorrit dijkstra - saxophone (netherlands)

anton hatwich - bass (chicago)

avreeayl ra - drums (chicago)

with guests TBA

nov 8

ben boye & his trip-sitters

ben boye - keyboards

paul gialorenzo - keyborads

jaimie branch - trumpet

david boykin - reeds

quin kirchner - drums

nov 15

the jeff kimmel quartet

jeff kimmel - bass clarinet

keefe jackson - reeds

devin hoff - bass

marc riordan - drums

nov 22

anton hatwich "and!"
keefe jackson - reeds
anton hatwich -bass
frank rosaly - drums
 

nov 28

lucas gillans many blessings

marquis hill - trumpet

jonathon edwards - bari sax

darius savage - bass

lucas gillan - drums

OCTOBER 2010

oct 4

damon short 'transcontinental quartet'
michael vlatkovich - trombone (los angeles)
jonathan golove -cello (buffalo, ny)
Paul Hartsaw -saxes (chicago)
damon short - drums (chicago)


oct 11

michael zerang/dave rempis duo
michael zerang - drums
dave rempis - reeds


oct 18


toby summerfield trio
toby summerfield - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
tim daisy - drums


oct 25


bill mackay's darts and arrows
bill mackay, guitar
kyle hernandez - bass
quin kirchner - drums

SEPTEMBER 2010

sept 6


nate mcbride quintet


charlie kohlhase - saxophones
josh berman - cornet
jason stein - bass clarinet
nate mcbride - bass
frank rosaly - drums




sept 13

marquis hill quartet


marquis hill - trumpet
nate baker - guitar
patrick mulcahy - bass
jeremy cunningham - drums




sept 20


Mikel Patrick Avery's EveryPeople Trio + film, with guest Nick Mazzarella

mikel avery - drums and film

nicholas gajewski -bass

nick mazzarella - alto saxophone

sept 27

alejandro urzagaste trio


alejandro urzagaste - guitar
dennis carroll - bass
george fludas - drums

AUGUST 2010

aug 2
stirrup


fred longberg-holm - cello/electronics
nick macri - bass
charles rumback - drums


aug 9
ernest dawkins black star trio


ernest dawkins - reeds
vincent davis - drums
darius savage - bass


aug 16
nick mazzarella trio


nick mazzarella - alto saxophone
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


aug 23
keefe jackson quartet
keefe jackson - reeds
matt schneider - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


aug 30
dave mcdonnell combo


dave mcdonnell - reeds
matt schneider - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
mike reed - drums

JULY 2010

july 5
jason roebke combination


jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums
jason adasiewicz - vibes
jason stein - bass clarinet


july 12
darren johnston trio


darren johnston - trumpet
marc riordan - drums
josh abrams - bass


july 19
extraordinary popular delusions


mars williams - reeds
jim baker - piano and ARP
brian sandstrom - bass
steve hunt - drums


july 26
charles rumback group

charles rumback - drums
tyler beach - guitar/trumpet
larry robertson - guitar
fred lonberg-holm - cello and ?

JUNE 2010

june 7

bill mackay's darts and arrows
CD RELEASE CELEBRATION!
bill mackay - guitar
dan thatcher - bass
charles rumback - drums


june 14

marc riordan's 'cram nadroir' ahnsambl

june 21


the engines (trio)
dave rempis - reeds
nate mcbride - bass
tim daisy - drums


june 28

shane perlowin - solo
(and special chicago guests!)


nick mazzarella - alto
jeff kimmel - bass clarinet
marc riordan - drums

MAY 2010




may 3

cameron phiffner ensemble
cameron phiffner - saxes and flute
marquis hill - trumpet
tom vaitsas - piano
brian sandstrom - bass
avreeayl ra - drums


may 10


paul giallorenzo bando
paul giallorenzo - electric piano, synthesizer
fred lonberg-holm - cello
toby summerfield - electric bass
charles rumback - drums


may 17

tudo de bom

kathy kelly - vibraphone
juli wood - tenor saxophone

jeff beer - trumpet

dan delorenzo - bass

mike schlick - drums

may 24


jason stein quartet
jason stein - bass clarinet
keefe jackson - tenor saxophone
josh abrams - bass
frank rosaly - drums


may 31

steve dawson and friends
steve dawson - gtr/vox
jason adasiewicz - vibes
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums



poster by christine ciarlegio

APRIL 2010

april 5

keefe jackson quartet
keefe jackson - tenor saxophone
jim baker - piano
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


april 12

devin hoff trio
jeff parker - guitar
devin hoff - bass
john herndon - drums


april 19

paul hartsaw quintet
paul hartsaw - reeds
ryan schultz - bass trumpet
jim baker - piano
cory biggerstaff - bass
damon short - drums


april 26

jason ajemian and the high life
jason ajemian - bass and vox
jacob wick - trumpet/vox
peter hanson - saxophone/vox
owen stewart-robertson - guitar/vox
marc riordan - drums/vox

MARCH 2010

mar 1

marc riordan trio
marc riordan - piano
dan thatcher - bass
tim daisy - drums


mar 8

jason steele group
jason steele - guitar
james davis - trumpet
patrick mulcahy - bass
andre beasley - drums


mar 15


jeff parker trio
jeff parker - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


mar 22

quin kirchner group

tony barba - tenor saxophone

robin boudreaux - tenor and soprano saxophone

matt ulery - Bass

quin kirchner - drums

mar 29

jason ajemian and the high life
jason ajemian - bass and vox
jacob wick - trumpet/vox
peter hanson - saxophone/vox
owen stewart-robertson - guitar/vox
marc riordan - drums/vox

FEBRURY 2010

feb 1

machael attias and friends
machael attias (NYC) - reeds
fred lonberg-holm - cello, electronics?
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums


feb 8


darts and arrows
bill mackay - guitar
charles rumback -drums
ben boye - keys
kyle hernandez -bass


feb 15


damon short quintet
ryan shultz - bass trumpet
mitch paliga - saxophone
paul hartsaw -saxophone
larry kohut - bass
damon short - drums


feb 22

jason stein quartetjason stein - bass clarinet
matt schneider-guitar
jason roebke-bass
sharif zaben-drums

JANUARY 2010

jan 4


jason ajemian and the high life
jacob wick - trumpet
peter hanson - saxophone
owen stewart-Robertson - guitar
jason ajemian - bass, vocals
marc riordan - drums


jan 11


james davis trio
james davis - trumpet
matt ulery - bass
jon deitemyer - drums


january 18


mazzarellepine sextet
nick mazzarella -alto saxophone
nate lepine - tenor saxophone
anton hatwich - bass
dan delorenzo - bass
frank rosaly - drums
joe adamik - drums


jan 25


health and beauty

DECEMBER 2009

dec 7


matt schneider/jason stein duo
matt schneider - guitar
jason stein - bass clarinet


dec 14

the charles rumback quartet
jason stein - bass clarinet
tyler beach - guitar
TBA - bass
charles rumback - drums


dec 21

the keefe jackson combo
keefe jackson - reeds
jim baker - piano
anton hatwich - bass
marc riordan - drums


dec 28


the j's and the a's
jacob wick - trumpet
jeff kimmel - bass clarinet
frank rosaly - drums

NOVEMBER 2009

nov 2

josh abrams trio
josh abrams - bass
jason adasiewicz - vibes
frank rosaly - drums


nov 9

paul giallorenzo quintet
mars williams - reeds
jeb bishop - trombone
Paul Giallorenzo - piano
nate mcbride - bass
marc riordan - drums


nov 16


quin kirchner quartet
tony barba - saxophone
robin boudreaux - saxophone
jake vinsel - bass
quin kirchner - drums


nov 23


toby delius and friends
tobias delius - saxophone
josh berman - cornet
jason roebke - bass
mike reed - drums


nov 29


jeff kimmel's wild heart
jeff kimmel - bass clarinet
justin purtill - bass (Boston)
marc riordan - drums

OCTOBER 2009

oct 5
cory healey quartet
jeff greene - bass
dave miller - guitar
james davis- trumpet
cory healey - drums


oct 12


jason stein trio
jason stein - bass clarinet
jason roebke - bass
mike pride (NYC) - drums


oct 19

darts & arrows

bill mackay, guitar

charles rumback, drums

matthew golombisky, bass

ben boye, keys


oct 26


nick mazzarella trio
nick mazzarella - saxophones
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums

SEPTEMBER 2009

sept 7

ritwik banerji quintet ritwik banerji sax
rob frye sax
satya gummuluri voice
patrick mulcahy bass
steve ptacek drums

sept 14

spacer
jason adasiewicz - vibraphone
nate mcbride - bass
mike reed - drums


sept 21

marc riordan group
line up tba


sept 28 rob denty/tim mulvenna duo

AUGUST 2009

august 3
robin bordreaux


august 10
shane perlowin


august 17
jason stein group


august 24
herculaneum


august 30
james falzone's klang

JULY 2009

july 6

nick broste group


july 13

keefe jackson quartet
keefe jackson - reeds
hans-peter pfammater - piano
jake vinsel - bass
charles rumback - drums


july 20

marc riordan's monk band
marc riordan - piano
keefe jackson - tenor saxophone
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


july 27
ben boye band
ben boye - piano and keyboards
david boykin - reeds and drums
josh abrams - bass
frank rosaly - drums

JUNE 2009

june 1

tony do rosario quartet
tony do rosario - guitar
mitch paliga - saxohpone
nathan kawaller - bass
corey healy - drums









june 8
 

nick morrison trio
nick morrison - guitar
andrew scott young - bass
brian sulpizio - drums





june 15

visiting from new orleans!
the jeff albert quartet
jeff albert – trombone
ray moore - sax
tommy sciple - bass
dave cappello - drums





june 22nd

bill mackay trio
bill mackay - guitar
todd hill - bass
charles rumback drums


june 29th


cameron pfiffner's marco polo
terry connell, marquis hill- trumpets
steve horne - trombone
rob haight - alto sax, clarinet
cameron pfiffner - tenor sax, flute
ted hogarth -baritone sax, bass clarinet
alejandro urzagaste - guitar
tom vaitsas - piano
jake vinsel -bass
tim daisy -drums

MAY 2009

may 4


dave mcdonnell quartet
dave mcdonnell - alto saxophone
matt schneider - guitar
mitch strafer - bass
frank rosaly - drums





may 11
paul giallorenzo trio
paul giallorenzo - piano
dan thatcher - bass
marc riordan - drums





may 18


isa wiss/jeff kimmel and friends
isa wiss - voice
jeff kimmel - bass clarinet
ben macdonald - guitar
dan thatcher - bass
marc riordan - drums







may 25


sheep or shepherd

APRIL 2009

apr 6

princess princess
jaimie branch - trumpet/flugelhorn
toby summerfield - bass
frank rosaly - drums





apr 13


keefe jackson quartet
keefe jackson - reeds
jim baker - piano
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums





april 20


ritwik banerji quartet
ritwik banerji - sax
steve ptacek- drums
rob frye - sax
pat mulcahy- bass





apr 27

marc riordan trio
marc riordan - piano
dan thatcher - bass
tim daisy - drums

MARCH 2009

mar 2


the leaves



mar 9
jeb bishop trio
jeb bishop - trombone
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums







mar 16


bill mackay trio
bill mackay - guitar
kyle hernandez - bass
joshua manchester - drums





mar 23 -
paul hartsaw quartet
paul hartsaw - reeds
jim baker - keyboards
cory biggerstaff - bass
damon short - drums







mar 30
kevin nabors quartet
kevin nabors - tenor and soprano saxophone
greg spero - piano
jeff pedras - bass
isaiah spencer - drums

FEBRUARY 2009

feb 2-
zing!



feb 9

tim haldeman quartet
tim haldeman - tenor
matt schneider - guitar
dan thatcher - bass
marc riordan - drums



feb 16


quin kirchner trio


feb 23

ben brown and the make-out machine

JANUARY 2009
?

DECEMBER 2008

?

NOVEMBER 2008

nov 3

28GOD





nov 10


hudson harrington berrykeyboard and voice





nov 17


grupo especial de paul giallorenzo
paul giallorenzo - piano
anton hatwich - contra basso
marc riordan - batteria




nov 24


bill mackay trio
bill mackay - guitar
todd hill - bass
joshua manchester - drums

OCTOBER 2008

october 6


tim daisy trio
caroline davis - alto saxophone
dan thatcher - bass
tim daisy - drums


oct 13

ben boye quartet
ben boye - piano
keefe jackson - reeds
alex wing - bass
marc riordan - drums





oct 20

tony malaby trio
tony malaby - tenor sax
ingebrigt haker-flaten - bass
frank rosaly - drums







oct 27


josh berman's old idea
josh berman - cornet
keefe jackson - reeds
jason adasiewicz - vibes
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums

SEPTEMBER 2008

sept 1


the tim daisy group


sept 8


the cameron pfiffner group


sept 15


caroline davis and peeps
caroline davis - alto saxophone
dave miller - guitar
matt golombisky - bass
frank rosaly - drums


sept 22


rempis/ward/mcbride/reed quartet
dave rempis - reeds
greg ward - alto saxophone
nate mcbride - bass
mike reed - drums


sept 29


the keefe jackson group

newcity chicago writes:

Sky(lark) is the Limit


Looking to inspire musical creativity in Chicago, musicians Frank Rosaly and Jaimie Branch have started up the Ratchet Series, a string of weekly jazz shows at the Skylark in Pilsen. “Chicago has such a long, deep tradition of creative jazz music, and in the twenty-first century you sometimes have to remind people of that,” says Rosaly, noting that he saw Pilsen as a perfect base for his idea because of the lack of live music. “The tradition continues in bars like the Skylark, and all we can do is present it, pass around a hat for donations and try to help the music move forward by making the venue balanced with all the social pluses, as well as presenting this great musical tradition—while also paying the musicians for their work.” Rosaly sees the series expanding past jazz in the future. “I would love to start blurring the lines by having the likes of Pillars and Tongues one week, then Cameron Pfiffner Quintet the following week, then Rob A.A. Lowe, then Jeff Parker, The Eternals... A lot of work has come from organizers, venues, musicians and fans alike so there is some quality joint you can go every night of the week and see great jazz and other creative music. We're hoping to contribute to that lineage.”

AUGUST 2008

august 4


jim baker trio
jim baker - keyboards
brian sandstrom - bass
steve hunt - drums





























august 11


rolldown
jason adasewicz - vibraphone
aram shelton - alto saxophone
josh berman - cornet
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums

































aug 18

nate mcbride group
nate mcbride -bass
jason adasiewicz - vibes
mike reed - drums

aug 25

nick mazzarella trio
nick mazzarella - alto saxophone
anton hatwich - bass
mikel avery - drums

JULY 2008

july 7


keefe jackson quartet
keefe jackson - reeds
tim haldeman - tenor sax
jake vinsel - bass
frank rosaly - drums


july 14


marc riordan quartet
marc riordan - piano
keefe jackson - reeds
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly - drums


july 21


jason stein quartet
jason stein - bass clarinet
jeb bishop - trombone
nate mcbride - bass
frank rosaly - drums

































july 28


bill mackay trio
bill mackay - guitar
todd hill - bass
charles rumback - drums

JUNE 2008

june 2


jeb bishop trio
jeb bishop - trombone
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums


june 9


word and number


june 15

princess, princess
jaimie branch - trumpet
toby summerfield - bass
frank rosaly - drums


june 23


ben macdonald band


june 30


a fox can be wilder
matt schneider - guitar
jason adaseiwicz - vibes
anton hatwich - bass
johnny herndon -drums

MAY 2008

may 5


the hats
dave mcdonnell - alto saxomaphone
josh berman - cornet
jason adasiewicz - vibes
anton hatwich - bass
dylan ryan - drums


may 12

james davis quintet james davis - trumpet
caroline davis - saxophone
sean mccluskey -piano
jeff greene - bass
quinlan kirchner - drums


may 19


rupert
jaimie branch - trumpet
toby summerfield - bass
marc riordan - drums
may 26
mike reed's people, places and things
greg ward - alto saxophone 

tim Haldeman - tenor saxophone
jason roebke - bass
mike reed - drums

APRIL 2008

Mar 31
 

john goldman's quadrangle
john goldman - saxophones
scott hesse - guitar
dave fink - bass
corey healey - drums


apr 7


paul giallorenzo quartet
rob mazurek - cornet
matt lux - bass
charles rumback - drums


apr 14

keefe jackson quintet
keefe jackson - tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
tim haldeman - tenor saxophone
matt schneider - guitar
anton hatwich - bass
frank rosaly -drums

apr 21


caroline davis quartet
caroline davis - saxophone
james davis - trumpet
dan thatcher - bass
marc riordan - drums

apr 28

the valentine trio
fred lonberg-holm - cello
jason roebke - bass
frank rosaly - drums

FEBRUARY 2008

feb 4


dan effland quartet
dan effland - guitar
jeb bishop - trombone
mark van ziegler - bass
tim daisy - drums


feb 11


marc riordan trio
dave miller - guitar
jason roebke - bass
marc riordon - drums


feb 18


herculaneum


feb 25


johnny herndon and friends
johnny herndon - drums
dan bitney - drums
jeff parker - guitar
josh abrams - bass


poster by johnny herndon

JANUARY 2008

jan 7


nate mcbride presents the music of thelonious monk
jaimie branch
jeb bishop
nate mcbride - bass

tim daisy


jan 14

keefe jackson trio
anton hatwich
marc riordan


jan 21
princess, princess
jaimie branch
toby summerfield
frank rosaly


january 28
jason ajemian

DECEMBER 2007

 dec 3

matt schneider quartet

matt scheider - guitar

tim haldeman - tenor saxophone

anton hatwich - bass

dylan ryan - drums

dec10

jeff parker trio

jeff parker - guitar

josh abrams - bass

frank rosaly - drums

dec 17
 

softPOW!
josh berman - cornet

jason adasiewicz - vibes

jeff parker - guitar

anton hatwich - bass

john herndon - drums

HERE'S A LITTLE WRITE UP PETER MARGASAK PUT UP ON HIS BLOG IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW SERIES...

Jazz in Pilsen

December 3rd - 5:04 p.m.

Drummer Frank Rosaly and trumpeter Jaimie Branch have played some extended Monday-night engagements at Pilsen’s Skylark this past year, and starting tonight they’re hosting a bona fide series there, with different acts each week. The Ratchet Series kicks off with a quartet featuring guitarist Matt Schneider, phenomenal saxophonist Tim Haldeman, bassist Anton Hatwich, and drummer Dylan Ryan (Herculaneum, Bronze). The music starts at 10 PM and there's no cover--though of course the musicians won’t turn up their noses at donations. This past summer, when I caught a Skylark gig by Princess, Princess, Rosaly’s trio with Branch, the group had to compete with the yammering of diners and drinkers--with any luck the bar and the music will evolve a compromise.