TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student.

Trombonist and composer Andrew Meyer, originally from St. Louis, MO now based in Chicago, IL, leads the Andrew Meyer Quintet and will be presenting music from his upcoming debut album Silver Linings: all original music inspired by and written about uncertainty of the world of music during the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and his life experiences living in Chicago. The music is a reflection on Andrew’s deep admiration and love for the Art Blakey hard bop sounds of the 1960s mixed with the modern jazz sound of the Chicago music scene.

Andrew Meyer - trombone

Alex Beltran - tenor/soprano saxophone

Kevin Fort - piano

John Sutton - acoustic bass

TJ Thompson - drums

Website: https://www.andrewmeyermusic.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewt_meyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewmeyermusic

Andrew Meyer is a Chicago-based freelance Trombonist, Composer, Band Leader, Copyist and Arranger. He is a St. Louis native who moved to Chicago to complete a master’s degree in Jazz Studies at DePaul University. During his time in St. Louis, Andrew studied trombone, composition, and arranging with Wayne Coniglio (former arranger/bass trombonist for Ray Charles). While at DePaul University, Andrew studied with world class musicians and educators including Dana Hall, Tom Matta, Tim Coffman, Chad McCullough, and Scott Burns. When Andrew was attending school for both his bachelor’s degree as well as master’s degree he was able to perform with Nicholas Payton, Jimmy Greene, Christian McBride, Sean Jones, Brandee Younger, Randy Brecker, Geoffrey Keezer and Joe Locke among others. Throughout his career, Andrew has performed with the Ira Sullivan Quintet, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Guy King, Metropolitan Jazz Octet featuring Dee Alexander, Tony Orlando, Deborah Cox and many notable Chicago musicians including Marques Carroll, Mark Colby, Roger Ingram, Steve Wiest, Chuck Parrish and Luke Malewicz among others. Highlight performances of his have been at significant Chicago venues, including the Jazz Showcase, Andy's Jazz Club, Elastic Arts, Fulton Street Collective, the Green Mill, and Winter's Jazz Club. He has also performed at a noteworthy St. Louis venue Jazz St. Louis. In addition to keeping a busy performance schedule, Andrew also teaches private trombone and euphonium lessons in the Chicagoland area. He also is an avid big band writer/arranger for groups including the Blueshift Big Band in which he is a member of. He can be heard playing with the Andrew Meyer Quintet, Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, Blueshift Big Band, Bob Lark Alumni Big Band, Shout Section Big Band, Sam Pilnick Nonet as well as a sideman for various small and large ensembles throughout the Midwest.

Alex Beltran received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his master’s degree from DePaul University where he studied with David Baker, Jim Snidero, Mark Colby and many others. In 2008, Alex made Chicago his home and quickly became an active member of the local and regional music scenes. Alex’s quintet, Merge, has released two albums of original modern jazz that have received praise from musicians and critics alike.  Dan Healy of Chicago Jazz Magazine says Delays is “both challenging and accessible, this is one of the best new releases of the year”. Alex has performed in both large and small venues across the country, under his own name and with musicians such as Jeff Hamilton, Phil Woods, Tim Ries, Ira Sullivan, Luis Bonilla, John Fedchok, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, the Chicago Yestet, and many others. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Alex is proud to be a Vandoren Performing Artist and maintains an active studio, helping a younger generation discover the beauty of music.

Kevin Fort has established himself as one of the most in demand pianists on the Chicago jazz scene.  Known for his warm touch and virtuosic yet lyrical improvisations, Kevin is a champion of the straight-ahead jazz tradition while embracing modern influences.  He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Bob Brookmeyer, John Clayton, James Moody, Ira Sullivan, Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Steve Turre, Bill Watrous, Louie Bellson, Harry Allen, George Fludas, Andy Brown, and Makaya McCraven. Kevin has recorded three albums as a leader.  Red Gold (2014) and Perspectives (2022) proved popular with a global audience, garnering over two million streams across streaming services.  All About Jazz described Kevin as “one of the young lions of the piano deserving of attention.” Chicago Jazz Magazine said that he displays “thrilling virtuosity and agile, vibrant improvisations.”  Kevin’s latest album, Twilight, released on October 5, 2023. Accompanied by bandmates Joe Policastro and Jon Deitemyer, the group pays homage to the classic piano trio albums of the past while incorporating Kevin’s unique take on the art form. Currently, Kevin serves as a faculty member at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, where he imparts his passion for jazz to the next generation of emerging artists.

John Sutton is a bassist/composer and educator based in Chicago. As a natural storyteller, both his playing and writing reflect his belief in the power of simplicity and humor. In recent years, John has composed for over 15 feature length and short films as well as theme music for multiple web series and other media projects. He releases original music under his own name and as The Vine Street Alternative, a saxophone trio based in NYC. John has been featured on recent releases by Vine Street Alternative, Saxsquatch, Ryley Walker, Mikel Patrick Avery, Tammy McCann, and Rana Santacruz. He has performed in many world famous venues including The Getty Museum, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, NYC Winter Jazz Fest, Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion, as well as NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. He is the creator of the web series Bass Solo: a sketch comedy show exploring what it means to be a musician in today’s world.

TJ Thompson is a Chicago-based freelance drummer and educator. He received a B.A. in Jazz Studies from Elmhurst University in 2019. During that time, and beyond, TJ was fortunate to learn from, record with, and work professionally outside of a school setting with some of Chicago’s finest, including Mark Colby, Frank Caruso, Chris Siebold, and the legendary big band educator, Doug Beach. Building close relationships with these extraordinary people led to a seamless transition into his professional career. TJ Thompson has had the privilege of sharing the stage with musical greats Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Sean Jones, Doc Severinsen (leader of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Band), and Byron Stripling - as well as legendary Chicago musicians, such as Mark Colby, Marlene Rosenberg, Jeremy Kahn, Scott Hesse, Scott Burns, Chris Siebold, Roger Ingram (lead trumpet for Ray Charles, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Harry Connick Jr.), and Steve Wiest, at venues such as Andy’s Jazz Club, Jazz Showcase, the Fulton Street Collective, Martyr’s, Reggie’s, and countless others. He has also had incredible opportunities to tour across the country with various groups, as well as internationally - in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Netherlands, the Bahamas, and the Czech Republic. TJ works with a variety of groups in the Chicagoland area and stays busy teaching a full studio of students.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services Private Trust Foundations, which include grants from the Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation (2020-2021; 2022-2023 seasons), the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation (2021-2022; 2022-2023 seasons), and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust (2021-2022; 2022-2023 season). Special concert event support provided by the Arts Midwest Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund grant (2022-2023 season). Activities are made possible in part by the Arts Organization Support (AOS), Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency (2023-2024 season).

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2023 seasons).

The Student and Home Grown Series concerts made possible, in part, with support from the ArtsEverywhere Grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Arts Project Support Grant and the Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission.