Preview: Soulgrass + Umphrey’s McGee
(Chicago, Illinois) Have you ever considered what would happen if a banjo and a saxophone went head to head? Well Bill Evans has and he’s been exploring this type of hybrid sound over the past few years along with his band, Soulgrass.
On September 21st and 22nd, Soulgrass will join forces with members of Umphrey’s McGee at one of the more intimate venues in Chicago. Guitarist Jake Cinninger, keyboardist Joel Cummins, and drummer Kris Myers will all take part in Evans’ musical journey at the Abbey Pub on Chicago’s north side.
If you are not familiar, saxophonist Bill Evans has one of the most impressive musical resumes out there. He spent ten years of his musical career playing along side the great Miles Davis, but these days he has a much different approach to his sound. While still acknowledging his jazz roots, he now focuses on redefining musical genres and exploring the art of collaborative improvisation.
This Grammy Award winning artist knows he isn’t the only one interested in pushing the boundaries of musical expression. The idea behind Soulgrass is that by bringing together a variety of musicians, from a variety of backgrounds, you can create a unique musical landscape where exploration is encouraged and can then be exploited. Evans’ live shows rely on improvisation techniques in order to discover new musical territory that hasn’t been tapped into before.
The Soulgrass show in Chicago will be unprecedented. Evans is originally from Chicago and this will be the first time he has brought Soulgrass to his hometown. This will also be the first time both Kris Myers and Joel Cummins have joined in the Soulgrass collaboration. Last February Jake Cinninger joined Soulgrass at the Blue Note in New York City along side John Popper and John Medeski.
Get your ticket here.
Carmel
