Makaya McCraven Quartet | Chicago Jazz Festival 2015

By TOM BOWSER

It was day 3 of the 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival in the Jazz and Heritage Pavilion. This was the first time my wife and I had the opportunity to see Makaya McCraven's Quartet. We had seen Makaya as a member of the Marquis Hill Blacktet when they performed for the Chicago Sound Palette III. Marquis Hill and the Blacktet gave a fantastic performance that night. My wife and I were both impressed with Makaya McCraven's precision, and attention to detail as the drummer of the Blacktet.

Makaya McCraven's Quartet included two familiar and talented players from the Blacktet including trumpet player Marquis Hill (winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition) and Justin Thomas on vibes. Marquis Hill plays with an intensity that makes him one of my favorite trumpet players in the Chicago area. Justin Thomas was killin it even more than usual on the vibes, during this show. Justin will be playing at the upcoming Hyde Park Jazz Festival on September 26th, 2015 here in Chicago.

The quartet also included bassist Junius Paul and guitarist Jeff Parker. The addition of Junius and Jeff added a different vibe to the group's sound from that of the Blacktet, making it worthwhile to see both bands if you have the chance. My wife and I enjoyed the show!

Makaya's drum solo, toward the end of the show, demonstrated why he is one of the top drummers in Chicago. Make time to see Makaya McCraven's quartet when you have the opportunity.

The Band:

• Makaya McCraven - Drums
• Marquis Hill - Trumpet
• Jeff Parker - Guitar
• Justin Thomas - Vibraphone
• Junious Paul - Bass

The Chicago Jazz Festival is one of the largest, high-quality, FREE jazz festivals in the United States.

Chad McCullough | Spin Quartet | 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival

By TOM BOWSER

The Spin Quartet played the Chicago Jazz Festival on Friday, September 4, at the Jazz Heritage Pavilion (North Promenade). The Jazz Heritage Pavilion was a large tent with bench seating close to the stage and chairs positioned further back from the stage. The sides of the tent were fully opened to let the summer breeze blow smoothly and comfortably through the space. It was a perfect summer day to listen to great jazz music.

Unfortunately, like most people my wife and I had a limited amount of time we could spend at the Chicago Jazz Festival. We had seen Chad McCullough and Geof Bradfield when they played with James Davis and his band Beveled. We liked what we heard, but wondered if The Spin Quartet would differ enough from Beveled to warrant seeing both bands.

We were both pleasantly surprised. The musical compositions were unique between bands. Geof Bradfield played tenor saxophone instead of the bass clarinet he plays with James Davis. Geof is also a talented sax player. Chad played trumpet most of the time, which gave the Spin Quartet a different sound and feel from Beveled, in which he played flugelhorn. Combined with the lively double bass playing of Clark Sommers and solid drumming of Kobie Watkins. My wife and I were happy we added The Spin Quartet to our Chicago Jazz Festival schedule.

The Spin Quartet currently has 2 different CDs available for purchase. In 2015, the CD " Starting from Zero" was recorded at a live performance in Chicago. It features Chad McCullough – trumpet/flugel, Geof Bradfield – tenor sax, Clark Sommers – bass, Kobie Watkins – drums. The CD " In Circles" (Origin Records) was recorded in 2014.

The Band:

• Chad McCullough - Trumpet & Flugelhorn
• Geof Bradfield - Tenor Saxophone
• Clark Sommers - Double Bass
• Kobie Watkins - Drums

The Chicago Jazz Festival is one of the largest, high-quality, FREE jazz festivals in the United States.