#relax attack

[whistlerchicago]

Chinchano plays tonight at the Whistler. 9pm. Free.

[whistlerchicago]

MON, APRIL 11 @ The Whistler: Boeren Quintet + Dikeman/Wierbos Ensemble

The Relax Attack Jazz Series and Doek present an all-star collaboration of musicians from Chicago and Amsterdam. Set 1: Boeren Quintet Eric Boeren – cornet Wilbert Dejoode – bass Gregg Moore – tuba Jason Adasiewicz – vibes Mike Reed – drums

Set 2: Dikeman/Wierbos Ensemble Wolter Wierbos – trombone John Dikeman – tenor Mars Williams – tenor Kent Kessler – bass Avreeayl Ra – drums

[whistlerchicago]

TUES, APRIL 5 @ The Whistler: Rooms

"The players are fluent in the vocabulary of postbop, and unlike many free-jazz musicians they’re not afraid to sound aware of current trends in pop...I’m impressed by Rooms Trio’s focus, taste, and melodic generosity, and I’m eager to hear these guys stretch out a bit onstage." —Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

"Rooms Trio performs in a similar vein as popular piano trios, such as those led by Robert Glasper and Avishai Cohen. More specifically, the Rooms Trio demonstrates the nimble ability to change grooves and meter on a dime, and the ability to inhabit a wide spectrum of dynamic and textural shadings." —Dan Healy, Chicago Jazz Magazine

[whistlerchicago]

Stirrup continues their Relax Attack Jazz Residency tonight at The Whistler with special guest Tomeka Reid on cello. 9:30pm. No cover.

[whistlerchicago]

The Whistler’s Relax Attack Jazz Series is pleased to announce a month-long residency featuring Bootstrap, a new group led by drummer Frank Rosaly.  Every Tuesday night in June, Rosaly will be joined by Mars Williams (sax), Jim Baker (piano, synthesizer) and Nate McBride (bass), playing material based on anthems and music of rebellion, from Andres Jimenez to Max Roach.  Rosaly describes the inception of the project as an attempt to connect the improvisational strategies of the Chicago avant scene with melodies and rhythms abstracted from Puerto Rican traditions:

“Over the last several years, I have been studying bomba and plena music of Puerto Rico as a means to further connect with my heritage. After the conception of another group of mine which focuses on integrating my experiences as an improvising experimental musician with the traditions of bomba, plena, jibaro and seis called ¡todos de pie! (everybody stand up!), I had compiled a lot of transcribed music from the island. Bootstrap is a smaller group, and that will allow us to explore some of these melodies, rhythms and song forms (which I have abstracted) in a free-jazz informed setting. Using these melodies/anthems as springboards for improvisations, these anthems also help regroup for the next improvisation.  Though much of the tunes are original compositions, the themes and anthems act as connective tissue throughout a set.”

Rosaly’s stint with Bootstrap continues The Whistler’s much lauded residency program—which has included groups led by Rob Mazurek, Josh Berman, and Jason Adasiewicz—as a vehicle for some of Chicago’s most ambitious jazz and improvisational artists to develop new material in the context of a lively crowd, full of spirited conversation and cocktail shaking.

—Jordan

[whistlerchicago]

Tonight at The Whistler's Relax Attack Jazz Series, Jake Vinsel and company play modern jazz compositions that borrow equally from R&B, indie, and impressionist classical composers. The group features Jake Vinsel (bass), Mike Saltar (tenor sax), Josh Johnson (alto sax), Jeremy Cunningham (drums), and Justin Thomas (vibraphone). Sets at 10pm and 11pm.

[whistlerchicago]

Jason Roebke (upright bass) and Matt Schneider (guitar) played at The Whistler's Relax Attack Jazz Series every Tuesday in October with Josh Berman’s quartet, and they both now have new releases on Candy Dinner’s Solo Series. Candy Dinner is a great music site offering free or donation-based downloads of artists doing really interesting work in various indie/experimental sub-genres.

Roebke and Schneider are the first two artists featured in the Solo Series, which features single take improvisations by different instrumentalists. It’s a real treat to hear players like them start with a simple phrase and let their playing take them wherever it goes over the course of the performance.

Schneider’s performance is a virtuosic deconstruction of his instrument, opening with discrete scratches and ticks that gradually evolve into sounds that are more recognizably “musical”. Short fragments of chords dissolve out of explorations of strings and frets, and the entire performance is remarkable for how he fluidly transitions between dissonant noises and the elegantly constructed themes that emerge from them.

Roebke is a key player in Chicago’s improvised music scene, and he’s an incredible listener in a group setting. What’s great about his solo performances is how sensitive he is in filling or not filling space. It’s a cliche in jazz at this point to talk about the notes someone isn’t playing, but if you ever wondered what that means, listen to Roebke.  He is just as engaged when playing nothing as he is attacking the bass frenetically. His broad sense of texture also comes through great on this recording.

Visit Candy Dinner's website for free downloads of Roebke and Schneider's Solo Series offerings.

—Jordan