Chicago jazz band Nia Quintet releases new album, will play at Chicago Botanic Garden

By ERIC SCHELKOPF


Chicago band Nia Quintet  has won praises for the creativity and originality it has brought to the jazz scene.


The band recently released its third recording, "Music by Scott Anderson," the first since Jon Dietemyer and Paul Mutzabaugh joined the band. Nia Quintet will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. June 12 at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe.


I had the chance to interview band leader Scott Anderson, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, about the new CD.




Q – Great talking to you. I know this is the first album the band has released since Jon and Paul joined the group. What do you think they have brought to the table and how do you think the band's sound has evolved since they joined Nia Quintet?  


Hello and thank you for the question. I would say the most important things that both Paul and Jon have brought to the group is the understanding of the overall direction the group is headed.


https://soundcloud.com/nia-quintet/sets/music-by-scott-anderson-new-cd
 

Paul has told me and numerous others that to play my music, “You have to have pop sensibilities with jazz headroom.” I believe that kind of translates into both his and Jon’s ability to play not only straight ahead jazz, but to embrace the qualities in my music, which are not always cut and dry jazz tunes.
 

They do a wonderful job of spontaneous orchestration during performances and have developed a type of communication with each of us in the band that allows us to grow as individual players and as a band as a whole. They are really quite amazing musicians and friends.


Q – You spent more than two years in the mixing studio after recording the tracks. What were you looking to add to the tracks and did you accomplish your goals?


I would say yes, we did accomplish my goals and were able to take the music in the direction I was hearing in my head more clearly on this CD than any of the other albums. I was looking to add effects and “sound-scaping” ideas to the tracks that added a depth to the recording that would be subtle and appropriate for the project.


We added auxiliary percussion and even recorded a gong under water to get a sweeping effect we used on some of the tunes. I was thinking somewhat “old school” when it came to trying to create effects for the CD and wanted to try and do it with instruments, coins, microphones, etc and not rely totally on digital pro-tool patches to achieve the desired effect.


I have huge respect for Paul and his ears, know-how and for helping me get this done. The engineer on the CD, Brian Schwab, played a huge role in overseeing our ideas as well, so a huge thanks to him!


Q – What made you want to move to Chicago and what do you think of the music scene here? How do you see the Nia Quintet fitting into the Chicago music scene?


I had some trying times towards the end of my college career and lost my entire family. The impetus for moving to Chicago was my relationship with the saxophonist in the quintet, Dan Nicholson.


He and I have known each other for 32 years and he was the closest thing to family I had left. He and I had dreamed of putting a band together when we were kids in high school and moving to Chicago was the next step for me.

With the move and through Dan’s help, I was able to form the band about a year after I arrived in Chicago and the rest is history, so to speak. I think the music scene in Chicago is thriving more
than it has in years and I am glad to be part of such a wonderful community. 

There are times I feel like Chicago is the smallest large city I have ever lived in, but then things will happen that remind me of how beautiful the city is and what a thriving musical community there is here.

Q – You have worked with the likes of Buddy Guy and other notable musicians. What do you get out of an experience like that?


I would say that being in a city like Chicago and having the opportunities to perform with some of the famous people I have played with, from R Kelly to Latimore and many others has allowed me to draw from many genres of music and from many types of wonderful musicians who don’t have just a “jazz” take on performing and music in general. 

It’s always amazing to me where you can draw inspiration from. For example, the track "Asian Dominoes" on this new record is inspired by performing with musicians at a Southside gospel church gig I did for years.
 

I was able to pull tons of inspiration from that setting and many other here in the city.


Q – Where do you see the band going from here?


My hope is to be performing and promoting the new CD over the course of the next year. Likewise, this summer, [I will] start on the next project for the band.


I have decided to record the music of Wes Anderson films and orchestrate it for not only the quintet but plan on adding strings, multiple horns and percussion to bring that music to life. I can’t go into detail about all of it yet, let’s just say you’re gonna love it!

Paramount Theatre hits the right notes in stirring version of "Once"

Photo by Liz Lauren

By ERIC SCHELKOPF 

Once again, the Paramount Theatre hits all the right notes with its production of "Once," which runs through June 3.

For those not familiar with the story, "Once," a modern-day musical set on the streets of Dublin, tells the story of a street musician and a Czech immigrant during an eventful week as they write, rehearse and record songs that reveal their unique love story. 

"Once" is based on the Oscar-winning 2007 movie, which took home the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly.” The movie stars real-life musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

The Paramount Theatre sets the mood before the curtain even rises. Patrons can stroll on stage to purchase beverages at a Irish bar, and a jam session among the musicians on stage before the show helps to get the audience in the mood for the production.

Sparks start flying early between Barry DeBois, who plays the character Guy, and Tiffany Topol, who plays Girl. DeBois and Topol shine in their roles and clearly understand the emotional baggage that both Guy and Girl are carrying.

They also earn high marks for the emotions they pour into the songs, written by Hansard and Irglova. 

The production is blessed by a spectacular cast of actors and musicians, including Jon Patrick Penick, who offers a hilarious take as Billy, a piano store owner. Kudos also go to director Jim Corti, who brings a sense of intimacy to the production, in turn allowing audience members to become part of the story as it is unfolding on stage.

The Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets, go to ParamountAurora.com or call 630-896-6666.

Edward David Anderson to perform at Kiss The Sky in Batavia as part of Record Store Day

By ERIC SCHELKOPF 

On his forthcoming album, Edward David Anderson gets back to being part of a band.

The former St. Charles resident, who has called Bloomington home for the past 15 years, will perform at 8 p.m. April 21 at Kiss The Sky record store, 180 First St., Batavia, as part of Record Store Day.

I had the chance to talk to Anderson about his new album, "Chasing Butterflies," set for release in October. The album was produced by well-known Jimmy Nutt, who has worked with the likes of Percy Sledge, Drive-By Truckers and Jason Isbell.

"Chasing Butterflies" was recorded at The NuttHouse Recording Studio in Sheffield, Alabama.


Q – Jimmy Nutt has a pretty impressive resume. How was it working with him? 

It was great. He was really laid back. He has a lot of good musical ideas. 

He was fortunate enough to work under Rick Hall, who just passed away, the engineer at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Jimmy worked with Rick for more than a decade, I believe.

I knew from the first conversation that I had with him on the phone that he would be somebody that I would work well with. He's a collaborator. He's definitely open to everybody's ideas. 

It was the first time I did a record where everybody played together, like a band style, since being in Backyard Tire Fire. The other couple of records were kind of pieced together.

I sang everything live and they're all basically live vocal takes from playing and singing with the guys. It has that kind of live feel to it, I think.

It felt like it was a pretty easy record to make, all things considered. Everybody really showed up ready to do their job. It was a very fun experience.

Q – What kind of goals did you have for the album and do you think you achieved them?

I think so. I wanted to play with dudes together in the same room. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to actually have a band together. 

Everybody was very focused and ready to go. 

Q – It does seem like authentic music is back in the spotlight, with the advent of roots music a few years back.

I agree. I feel like people kind of have that radar for what's coming from the right place, and what's not, or at least some people do. 

Q – So will you be playing some of these new songs at Kiss The Sky?

I definitely will be a lot of songs from the new one that I just recorded. It will be a mixture of old, new and really new, which is usually the case for me. I always get excited when I write a new batch of songs and play them long before I record them.

Q – How do you think your music has evolved over the years?

With this batch of tunes that I just wrote in the last few weeks, I've stripped it down. I'm trying to really trim the fat, if you will.

I'm just trying to really make sure that every word that's in there needs to be there.

Guitarist Anthony Gomes to bring energetic show April 14 to Brauerhouse in Lombard

 By ERIC SCHELKOPF
 
Those who spent any time at Chord on Blues in St. Charles knows the electricity Anthony Gomes creates on stage.

Gomes was a regular at the club, which closed several years ago. So it should come as no surprise that in November 2017, Gomes won Best Musician (Performance) at the 37th Annual European Blues Awards. And he was named  "One of the Top Ten Guitarists in the World" by Music Taster's Choice.

People can see and hear for themselves when the Toronto born musician at 9 p.m. April 14 at Brauerhouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, available at ticketfly.com.

I had the chance to talk to Gomes about his career and the upcoming show.


Q – As far as what people should expect from the show, are you going to play from all 11 of your albums?

Yeah. Of course, we're supporting our latest release, "Electric Field Holler." We'll do that, and then a couple new songs. We're working on a new album, and sort of testing them out.

Q – You've gotten a lot of attention lately. Music Taster's Choice named you "One of the Top Ten Guitarists in the World." What do you say about something like that?

That was quite the honor, for them to say that. First of all, it's nice to be acknowledged. And there's so many wonderful players out there. 

It's really hard to judge what the best is. But to be acknowledged is certainly an honor. And it's something to be proud of, to be recognized for your craft.

We'll take it anyway we can get it. 

Q – Of course, you were also named Best Musician (Performance) at the 37th Annual European Blues Awards. What do you try to do in your live shows?

Well, we're trying to move people. We're trying to move people emotionally and make them feel good, make them feel alive, make them feel happy, make them feel sad, and at the end of the day, feel uplifted that they came to a show.

I think that a good concert is almost like a sacred experience. It's a musical event, and it channels you and it takes you someplace else.

It's more than a collection of favorite songs being presented. It's a moving, interactive experience, an exchange of energy and ideas through music.

Q – What about those people who are videotaping the entire concert using their cell phone? Is that distracting? 

No, not for me. They just make us work harder. You're going to put your cell phone down, and say, "Damn, I forgot to record." 

 Q – You released "Electric Field Holler" in 2015. It seems like there should be a story behind the name of the album.

Yeah, well, field holler is the origins of the blues. The blues grew out of field hollers, songs that people were singing while working in the fields.

And a lot of times they were a way to deal with the harsh conditions. To me, that's the beginning of the blues. 

It's another way of saying blues. It's my way of saying blues rock, or electric blues, or taking those field hollers and bringing them into the future, with electric instruments.

To me, it all deals with the blues, the past, the present and the future.

Q – You are a blues history scholar. Do you believe it's important for people to be educated on the roots behind blues music and do you try to do that through your music?

I understood Jimi Hendrix a lot more when I understood about B.B. King and Robert Johnson. He made a lot more sense to me, just because I could trace the music. So yeah, it's pretty important.

If it wasn't for all the ancestors of music, I wouldn't be playing the music that I'm playing. When I'm playing, I'm playing on the souls and arms and backs of all these great people that came before me. And when I'm gone, people will continue to do so.

Q – Morgan Freeman joked that you were "not bad for a white guy." Where did he see you?

In Clarksdale, Mississippi. He owns a club called Ground Zero, a blues club. And he would go there and hang out.

He is such a wonderful person and a very kind man. It was a pleasure to meet him.

Q – You've shared the stage with the likes of B.B. King and Buddy Guy. What have you learned from being on the stage with them?

It's a master class, just being in their presence. You're in awe. You are sitting there with your heroes.

They're your superheroes. B.B. King was my superman. And there I am, standing next to him. And it's like so surreal.

Q – And it seems like a project that's very near and dear to you is your Music Is the Medicine Foundation, which you started in 2010. Have you seen the foundation do a lot of good over the years?

Yeah, you know, we started out very humbly, and now we've grown to do some amazing things. In the beginning, we presented some instruments and instruction.

We had this one gentleman who had post traumatic stress disorder. And he couldn't speak for years. And he got a guitar, and in these lessons, he started to speak again, because music was a gateway to open up communication.

And the most recent thing we're doing is we're working with a choir made up of mentally ill patients in Montreal at Montreal General Hospital. And we have now raised enough money to supply them in a recording studio, a fully functioning recording studio in this hospital so this choir can make albums.

We've done some really cool things to spearhead music therapy and using music as a healer.

Q – Because you do believe that music can heal.

Absolutely. Every night we play, I see people that are reacting, crying or smiling or laughing.

Music can change the temperature in the room. Music is such a powerful, moving force. 

Sometimes, as an artist, you get so caught up in the art and how many records are you selling and your chart position that you forget there is a much bigger thing attached to the music.