Cross Modulations Series: Stein/Dammann/Hunt Trio & Sugimoto/Daisy Duo

Resonance Arts is pleased to present November’s installment of Cross Modulations. This month we feature a trio consisting of Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Chris Dammann on bass, and Steve Hunt on Drums. In addition the pairing of Tim Daisy and Mai Sugimoto also perform.

Jason Stein

Jason Stein is among the mere handful of improvisers who play the bass clarinet exclusively. Stein leads the acclaimed trio Locksmith Isidore as well as his own quartet. He contributes to several of the leading bands on Chicago’s new-music scene and has brought a vital voice to the freest of free-jazz jams. Stein’s playing showcases an extraordinary expertise on the bass clarinet, which ranges from powerful post-bop lines to ear-grabbing wails in the altissimo range. Chicago writer Neil Tesser notes that “Stein’s playing has a rawboned swagger particular to Chicago jazz in all its manifestations – from the trad playing of Bud Freeman and Jimmy McPartland in the 20s, through the tenor titans of the 50s, through the adventurers who formed the AACM in the 60s, and right up to the city’s renowned modern cadre of new-music improvisers.” Stein moved to Chicago in 2005 and has since recorded for such labels as Leo, Delmark, Not Two, Atavistic, 482 Music, Clean Feed, Astral Spirits, and Northern Spy.  Stein has performed throughout the US and Europe as both a bandleader and sideman and has amassed a discography of over 40 albums.

Chris Dammann

Chris is a composer/bassist who lives in Chicago. He is lucky enough to have improvised with many of his favorite musicians, worked in a variety of bands, performed music for national television shows and ad campaigns. He writes music for games, television and film.

Recent work includes the score for Kera MacKenzie & Andrew Mausert-Mooney’s award winning non-fiction montage feature, Make A Distinction, the Restroy release, sketches, for ears&eyes records and IKZ (Toby Summerfield, Kevin Davis, and John Niekrasz) release I saw the Cryptic Problem of my Generation Destroyed on Chicago label, Amalgam music.

Chris is currently working on material for a newly formed sextet (Scott Clark, Jon Irabagon, Edward Wilkerson, Mabel Kwan, James Davis) with plans to record summer 2024.

Chris is also proud to be a teaching artist with the People’s Music School of Chicago, Chicago’s largest tuition free music school.

Steve Hunt

Chicago’s Steve Hunt is a dynamic drummer known for his innovative contributions to the avant-garde music scene. He gained prominence as a member of Hal Russell’s NRG Ensemble, where his energetic and experimental style helped shape the group’s unique sound. Steve also played a pivotal role in Witches and Devils, blending elements of jazz, rock, and free improvisation to create captivating performances. Additionally, he was a key figure in Extraordinary Popular Delusions, further showcasing his versatility and passion for pushing musical boundaries. With a career rooted in collaboration and creativity, Steve Hunt continues to be a significant force in the Chicago music landscape.

Mai Sugimoto

Mai Sugimoto is a saxophonist, composer, and active member of Chicago’s jazz and improvisational music scene. “A compelling performer” with “dry-champagne tone and lyrical lines” (Chicago Tribune), Sugimoto draws inspiration from her upbringing in Japan and her roots in jazz to compose and perform from her unique multicultural experience. Born/Raised, her debut album (Asian Improv Records, 2018), explores this cultural and musical binary, juxtaposing, among others, a jazz rendition of a Japanese children’s song alongside compositions inspired by the American jazz idiom. Sugimoto is also a core member of the quartet Hanami, whose two albums similarly mix Japanese culture into creative music. Mai has performed three times at the Chicago Jazz Festival: in 2015 with Hanami, in 2019 as a leader, and in 2018 with renowned bassist Tatsu Aoki, with whom she frequently plays, including appearances in his Fred Anderson Legacy Band. Her first solo album, monologue (Asian Improv Records) was released in March of 2021.

Tim Daisy

Tim Daisy is a Chicago based drummer, composer, and presenter who’s been an active member of the international improvised music scene since the late 1990s.

Mainly self- taught, with some private lessons on drums, marimba and vibraphone, Tim’s move and subsequent immersion into Chicago’s fertile creative music scene in 1997 has given him the opportunity to perform, compose, tour and record with some of the city’s most acclaimed musicians and ensembles.

Along with his drumming and compositional work connected to various experimental music groups, Tim has also contributed original compositions and improvisations for modern dance, various sound installations, documentary films, and podcasts.

Since 2011, he has operated Relay Records, a 100% artist-run cd and download label which documents much of his creative work both locally and internationally.

Tim helped co-curate the Option Series at Experimental Sound Studio from 2015 until 2022. The programming explores contemporary perspectives on improvisation and composition in a ‘salon’ format, enabling local, national, and international artists to publicly discuss their practice and ideas as well as perform.

In addition, he is a member of the Catalytic Sound Creative Music Cooperative. A music-based co-operative designed to help create economic sustainability for its artists through patron support.

Outside of Tim’s performance, curatorial and label duties, he has worked as a teaching artist with CAPE (Chicago Artist Partnerships in Education.) Collaborating with Chicago public school teachers on projects which enhance learning through arts integration.

Resonance Arts is committed to providing opportunities for performing artists and audiences to connect in spaces across the Chicago area. We elevate and prioritize multidisciplinary, progressive, and unconventional performances, with specific attention paid to amplifying new, emerging, and underrepresented creative voices. www.resonancearts.org