Four years ago, when the likes of Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt gave rise to a media maelstrom, it seemed that Chicago was the center of the music world. But even though the hype has faded, the city’s status as a center for cutting-edge music has only grown in the past couple of years.
In the border territories where rock, jazz and avant-garde classical music converge, a thriving musical underground has sprung up. Bands like Tortoise and musicians like Jim O’Rourke may be our best-known proponents of experimental music, but scores of other local artists have created a vibrant improvised-music scene.
The music in question isn’t necessarily jazz, and it borrows freely from both rock and classical music; some have combined the terms “free jazz” and “improvised music” to create the name “free music,” which conveys the joyful unpredictability of the music at its best. Such is Chicago’s reputation as a home for adventurous improvisation that players from Europe regularly come here to hang out and jam with local musicians.
Two years ago, musician Ken Vandermark and writer John Corbett began hosting experimental music nights on Wednesdays at the Empty Bottle, a rock club on Western Avenue. “We thought we’d do it for about three months,” says the 33-year-old Vandermark, who plays saxophone and clarinet in a dozen different ensembles, from the funky Crown Royals and the more avant-garde Vandermark 5 and DKV Trio. “We were surprised that (owner) Bruce (Finkel-man) was interested, and we figured after three months of having weird music on Wednesdays, he’d be like, `What the hell is going on?’ “
But Vandermark and Corbett persevered — with Finkelman’s support — and found there was an audience for avant garde music from European players such as pianist-composer Georg Graewe and saxophonist Peter Brotzmann and hometown players such as percussionist Hamid Drake and bassist Kent Kessler. Though the series isn’t a moneymaker, Finkelman says, “I’d rather give people an experience like that rather than have a (lame cover band) in here every week.”
Despite that kind of support, venues for live performances have bitten the dust regularly in the last year or so: Urbus Orbis, a Wicker Park coffeehouse that hosted improvised music nights, closes this month; the Bop Shop, an eclectic jazz venue, closed last fall; and the Lunar Cabaret, a haven for stage performance and live music, turned exclusively to theater. HotHouse, a former Wicker Park jazz fixture, reportedly has a new space lined up but has yet to open.
But such setbacks haven’t killed the avant-garde scene; one sign of its resilience is the new Creative Music Series at Xoinx Tea Room, 2933 N. Lincoln Ave. Each Thursday, series organizers Tim McLoraine and Robbie Hunsinger plan to bring in local and visiting improvisational artists.
“I’ve been interested in the levels where avant-garde classical and avant-garde jazz cross,” says the classically trained Hunsinger, who often plays oboe with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “Sometimes I’ll hear a classical piece and I think, `It’s such a phenomenal thing, and it probably could never happen in an improvised setting.’ But I think there’s a freer area in both these fields that we’re exploring at Xoinx.”
Both are encouraged by the open attitudes of audiences and other musicians. “I had a guy come up to me after a concert (at Xoinx) and say, `Plugged in oboe, yeah! That was so great!’ ” Hunsinger says.
And other players, she adds, are more than willing to collaborate — even if they have to take a back seat. “I’ve found that if I’ve got my own vision of what I want to do (with a piece), and approach other people, more times than not, they’re like, `Cool, let me know what night you want to do it.’ “
“I’ve done a fair amount of playing outside Chicago, and I’d have to say right now, Chicago is one of the most amazing cities in the world for music,” Vandermark agrees.”There are people listening and musicians coming out and performing and people from out of town performing — a lot of wild ideas are being thrown around.”
Far from feeling threatened by the arrival of another improvised music showcase, Vandermark has only praise for the Xoinx series. “If (Hunsinger and McLoraine) are putting all that energy into giving other people opportunities, that’s pretty amazing,” he notes.
That supportive atmosphere has attracted world-class talents such as Swedish sax player Mats Gustafsson, Argentinian musician Guillermo Gregorio and German composer and pianist Graewe, who moved here for a few months last year and will return this year for a working visit of several months.
“(Graewe) found it remarkable that he could call up Ken and say, `I want to do a large ensemble,’ and Ken would call back three days later and say, `Got it. When do you want to rehearse?’ ” says Hunsinger, who played with Graewe and Vandermark last year.
Both Xoinx organizers credit those who have gone before them, particularly the members of the late Hal Russell’s NRG Ensemble and the jazz stalwarts of Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, with helping create Chicago’s fertile free music scene. “Tim and I are lucky to be doing it now,” Hunsinger notes. “As artists and as presenters, we get to come in on the crest of all these other people’s work.”
