February 7, 2014

Friday night live at Transistor: the Dan Meinhardt Quartet and Laurenzi/Ernst/Green. Sound by Jon Monteverde.

Although still a new face on the Chicago jazz scene, Dan Meinhardt has already made an impact. His unique styles of improvisation and phrasing flow through his creative approach to composition. Combining flavors of jazz, hip-hop, folk, chamber and improvised music, Dan's compositions bring an organic, accessible quality to his groups. As an improviser, Dan performs with sincerity and musicality at all times; his playing has been compared to that of Joe Henderson and John Coltrane, suggesting an organic, emotional presence.

Dan currently performs with his quartet, modeled after Ornette Coleman's chordless quartet, playing original compositions and arrangements of standards. When not playing with this group, he can be seen playing in rock bands, funk bands, salsa bands, musical pits and alongside some of the city's finest musicians.

For their performance at Transistor, the Dan Meinhardt Quartet explored Dan's original compositions, including one written earlier the same day, and interpretations of modern pop songs and jazz classics.

Personnel: 
Dan Meinhardt: tenor saxophone
Justin Copeland: trumpet 
Tim Ipsen: bass 
Andrew Green: drums 

Visit Dan's blog.

Since the group's inception in early 2012, Laurenzi/Ernst/Green have established themselves as an important new facet of Chicago's creative music scene. Featuring tenor saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, bassist and vocalist Katie Ernst, and drummer Andrew Green, the group's aesthetic blends jazz, folk, and improvised music, yielding an honest and refreshing take on the saxophone/bass/drums trio. The band has maintained a busy schedule, regularly performing at many of Chicago's most loved venues for creative music, as well as embarking on a DIY tour. In November 2013 the trio released its debut album "Sightline", which features seven original compositions by Laurenzi and Ernst.

For their performance at Transistor Laurenzi/Ernst/Green reinterpreted music from "Sightline" and explored new original compositions.

Visit Laurenzi/Ernst/Green's website: laurenziernstgreen.com.