Approximately 30 years ago, while working at home and listening to WNUR (Northwestern University radio at 89.3), I heard a tune that changed my static musical palette. During this jazz segment, the DJ played “Two Car Garage” by Caffeine (Okkadisk, 1994). What did I just hear!? I have pegged this moment as the beginning of my journey into avant/free jazz. I deliberately started to listen to this DJ’s set when working at home once a week; thus, my musical horizon expanded. I learned about a Chicago-based group called the NRG Ensemble, which multi-instrumentalist Hal Russell led until his death in 1992. Ken Vandermark replaced Russell, joining Brian Sandstrom, Steve Hunt (of Caffeine), and Mars Williams (who also played saxophone with the Psychedelic Furs). I attended my first free jazz concert, at the Blue Rider, to see Liof Munimula. ‘Twas an unusual introduction for me to see Michael Zerang, Dan Scanlan, and Don Meckley. Zerang lived (5049 Bernard) one block from an apartment (5141 Bernard) I rented a few years earlier. I attended at least a dozen concerts at the intimate Lunar Cabaret to see Williams, Zerang, Vandermark, Fred Longborg-Holm, et. al.
I bought dozens of cds from groups called Broken Wire, Isotope 217, Spaceways, Inc., and (of course) the NRG Ensemble, and continued to attend concerts. These adventures led me to other musical outlets that included John Zorn, Rob Mazurek, Nicole Mitchell, and Hamid Drake. Vandermark won a grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 1999. Then jazz cats from Europe arrived to play in Chicago as the scene flourished. I saw Sweden’s Mats Gustafsson, Sten Sandell, and Raymond Strid, along with Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Evan Parker, Peter Brotzmann, Joe McPhee, and Paul Lovens play at the Empty Bottle, Williams’s Liquid Soul at the Cabaret Metro, Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra at the Pritzker Pavilion… Most memorable concerts included Vandermark paired with a Dutch punk band, The Ex, solstice concerts with Zerang and Drake at Links Hall, Steve Lacy at some random church, and a Mazurek cast at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I also gravitated to gigs with Jason Adasiewicz (vibes and marimba, which led me to become a lifelong fan of Milt Jackson and his Modern Jazz Quartet. Dozens of concerts. The scene faded in Chicago over a decade ago though several of the musicians from the halcyon days remain.
Skipping ahead, I visited Switzerland earlier this month. Upon exiting Bern’s art museum around 1pm, I heard people practicing with brass instruments. I poked inside and grabbed a promotional booklet. I perused the literature while resting in my VRBO that evening. Wait a minute…I recognized names of Americans! Fred Longborg-Holm (cello), Tim Daisy (percussion), and Dave Rempis (saxophone) paired with Austrian pianist, Elizabeth Harnik,…played the next evening. I had arrived in Bern during its 18thannual jazz festival. The Americans and Austrian had an ensemble called Earscratcher. I knew I must attend the Earscratcher concert. The modern venue, located within a university’s fine arts building, held approximately 200. I arrived early and positioned myself in the front row with an unobstructed view of the cello. Free jazz, played live again, with its discordance, freneticism, fills, techniques, and melodies reentered my being and spoke to my condition.
I conversed with three Earscratcher members after their phenomenal gig. Longborg-Holm recalled those Lunar Cabaret days – he has not lived in Chicago for a decade. Daisy remains, and he and I exchanged names and laughed about the phenomena of my musical journey leading me to a jazz festival in Switzerland populated by Americans. I also sought to compliment Ms. Harnik for her extraordinary performance. I told her that her performance reminded me of the time I watched in awe the Schlippenbach Trio at the Empty Bottle (with guest, Ken Vandermark). Elizabeth exclaimed, “I’ve played at the Empty Bottle!” We agreed that I must see her perform in Chicago. I need now to listen to my free jazz catalog more often!
