TYPICAL SISTERS
Something like sisterly love sits between these three. Typical Sisters—the trio of Greg
Uhlmann, Clark Sommers, and Matt Carroll—draw from the deep symbiosis of
longstanding bonds to produce their innovative and warm sound and approach. Every
melody, harmonic progression, and rhythmic feel within a composition is revered and
built upon by all involved. The resultant balance of vulnerability and innovation has
earned the trio comparisons to jazz iconoclasts Bill Frisell and John Scofield (Chicago
Reader) as well as indie rock icons Bibio and Do Make Say Think (International
Anthem). While the three members are restlessly active outside of the trio (indie rock
bands Fell Runner and Ohmme, improvisation-based groups Ba(SH) and Rooms Trio,
quirky-playful-avante-garde group Similar Fashion, and jazz singer Kurt Elling’s band are just a few of
their respective current involvements), each makes room for Typical Sisters, forming an
outlet that serves as an apex of their experiences.
"..a lithe jazz trio who quietly dropped their impressive eponymous debut album in 2016 on the Ears & Eyes label. Uhlmann’s tone evokes an admixture of Bill Frisell and John Scofield as loping grooves coolly collide low-key funk with flashes of rustic Americana. The trio came together in 2009, and playing in fits and starts since then, they’ve developed a rapport that parlays a modern jazz ethos as inviting and warm as any improvised music I experienced last year. Sommers and Carroll provide a deceptively simple foundation for Uhlmann, sculpting loose, airy rhythms that are at once crystal clear and marvelously elastic" - Chicago Reader
"strong lyricism..an abstract uniformity" - JazzTimes
NATURAL LANGUAGE
Chicago saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi has developed a distinctly personal approach to improvisation and composition that has garnered the attention of the city's creative music community. Recognized for his "offbeat approach to articulating harmonies and constructing melodies" (NextBop), Laurenzi’s music is inspired and informed by jazz, folk, and improvised music. In addition to working as a collaborator in Chicago jazz-centric ensembles and with his own projects Twin Talk and Natural Language, the saxophonist has recently toured with Grammy award-winning indie rock band Bon Iver and appears on the band’s critically acclaimed 2016 release 22, A Million.
For this performance, Laurenzi presents Natural Language (guitarist Jeff Swanson, bassist Mike Harmon, and drummer Charles Rumback), a quartet of like-minded improvisers that weaves its way through original compositions, bringing to mind the idiosyncratic melodicism of drummer/composer Paul Motian and the melancholy folk songs of Nick Drake. Each member brings his own distinct voice as an improviser, but no single member outshines the group. Rather, melodies are passed between the musicians, creating contrapuntal textures with simmering intensity.
"Laurenzi has already achieved one of the toughest things to do in jazz without overdoing it: a
genuine presence." - Chicago Reader
“...superbly winning...like listening to a human voice.” - Newcity Music
Venue Information:
The Hungry Brain
2319 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL, 60618