TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student. Concert is one long set. End time is approximate.

Kabir Dalawari Quintet "Last Call" Album Release Show:

Kabir Dalawari - drums and compositions

Kyle Brooks - alto sax

Rufus Parenti -  tenor sax

Nicholas Olynciw - piano

Stephen Parisi - bass

https://shiftingparadigmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/last-call

https://news.theurbanmusicscene.com/2024/02/kabir-dalawari-to-release-new-project-last-call/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/23hPG6nUZjGxAeytioXw6j?si=0wDFZ7ocTt-s6Ary1spMUg

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/pxed9vw3bqhfaqsavirca/h?rlkey=syp0softra2vbhvx6sqqtsa6a&dl=0

Kabir Dalawari is a drummer, composer and educator based in Chicago, Illinois. As a bandleader, Dalawari has showcased his various bands at Chicago's best venues such as: Andy's Jazz Club, Evanston SPACE, California Clipper,  Constellation Chicago and many more. He currently holds a residency at the legendary Andy's Jazz Club, his groups perform there every first weekend of the month. Dalawari's debut album Awareness (“tight and cellular, yet wide-open enough to springboard the quartet’s fanciful improvisations” – Chicago Tribune) continues to recieve international recognition. His upcoming record, "Last Call" presents a new book of kinetic and exciting originals. As an educator, Dalawari has taught clinics at both DePaul University and Loyola University Chicago and currently holds a faculty positions at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. Additionally, he maintains his own private studio of 30 students of all ages.

Kyle Brooks is a saxophonist, composer, and educator who performs a broad array of music for a broad array of audiences. While currently a doctoral student in Jazz Performance at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music, Brooks has wasted no time in his blossoming career creating his own musical portfolio with original music of his own, in addition to collaborating with musicians all over the country to not only provide experiences in new music, but also constantly bringing the joy of classic music of the 20th and 21st centuries to audiences abroad. With roots tracing back to the bustling music scene in Chicago, Brooks has lived in Northwest Ohio, and then near Indianapolis respectively, constantly working in different musical entities that span Jazz, Rock, Salsa, Bollywood, Folk, Electronic Music, and more. These facets, combined with Brooks’ passion for education, particularly teaching music lessons to young students in underserved communities, provide him with a wide-ranging connection with people of different walks, which then translate into the very musical personality he brings to each performance.

Rufus Parenti is an up and coming Tenor Saxophonist based in Chicago. Starting on Piano at a young age, then moving to Electric Bass, and then Saxophone, music has always been an important part of his life. Rufus has been the recipient of various music awards, a few being the Kiewit-Wang mentorship award in 2019, and becoming a Youngarts winner in 2020. He has studied with many world-renowned musicians, including Rajiv Halim, Chris Weller, Marques Carroll, Scott Burns, Dennis Carroll, Vincent Davis, Scott Hesse, Dana Hall, Dustin Laurenzi, and Mark Turner. Rufus is an active musician in Chicago's improvised music scene, and in addition to leading his own groups, he is a sideman in various groups, including Mahjong Crib, MOBIUS, Neon Wilderness, and more. Rufus is currently studying at the Depaul University School of Music, and is set to graduate in spring 2024 with a degree in Jazz Performance.

Chicago-based pianist & educator Nicholas Olynciw is a rising voice in jazz music. Winner of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and the American Jazz Piano Competition Bösendorfer Prize, Nicholas earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas where he was a member of the Grammy-nominated One O'clock Lab Band. He received his Master's Degree from Western Michigan University where he was awarded the 2019 Downbeat Award for Best Graduate Jazz Instrumental Soloist. Nicholas teaches at the Chicago Acadamy for the Arts & the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. He has held residencies at the Carriage House on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and the Knickerbocker Bar in New York City.

Stephen Parisi Jr. is a jazz bassist, Composer and arranger originally from Buffalo New York. Stephen earned his Bachelor's Degree from the Eastman School of Music receiving the Schirmer Prize for Excellence, where he was a member of both the Downbeat winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble and Eastman New Jazz Ensemble. Stephen then furthered his education at the Depaul School of Music, achieving his masters in 2023. Stephen is a founding member of the acclaimed group "Trio Profondo", while also touring with renowned acts such as The Bryan Eng Trio and The Glen Miller Orchestra. Stephen maintains a private teaching studio, and teaches classes around the Chicago and Buffalo areas. His impressive resume includes performances at esteemed venues and festivals nationwide.

ALBUM REVIEW:

Produced by Matt Ulery

Featuring Dalawari, drums and compositions, with:

Kyle Brooks (alto saxophone), Chris Madsen (tenor saxophone),  Joshua Achiron (guitar), Nicholas Olynciw (piano), Stephen Parisi Jr. (bass)

Release Date: April 5, 2024 on Shifting Paradigm Records

Available for streaming and purchasing on all digital platforms

In a stirring follow-up to his 2022 debut Awareness (“tight and cellular, yet wide-open enough to springboard the quartet’s fanciful improvisations” – Chicago Tribune), drummer Kabir Dalawari is proud to present Last Call, alternating between quintet and sextet as he debuts a new book of kinetic original compositions. The album was produced by prolific recording artist Matt Ulery, Dalawari’s former composition teacher at Loyola University, who played bass on Awareness and now cedes that function to the talented Stephen Parisi Jr.

“I’ve always been drawn to ensembles with piano and guitar together,” Dalawari states. “Joshua Achiron (guitar) and Nicholas Olynciw (piano) made this vision of mine a reality. It’s rare to find instrumentalists who play at such a high level while respecting each other’s harmonic space.” Kyle Brooks, making a return appearance on alto sax, “is my longest-running musical collaborator,” Dalawari adds, “and when writing this music he was the first to come to my mind. Chris Madsen, on tenor, is a staple of the Chicago jazz scene who has served as an inspiration and mentor, and we’ve recently become good friends. I’m very grateful to feature him on three tracks.”

The rhythmic and melodic nuance in Dalawari’s writing is clear from the start of the leadoff title track. Powerful even when he’s not playing, Dalawari lays out completely as Madsen begins to build his solo. By the end it’s the drummer soloing, in an unaccompanied feature that serves as a segue to the funky uptempo “Detached.” On gigs, these two pieces are conjoined and played as a suite, their subject matter integrally linked. “‘Last Call’ symbolizes my decision to let go of certain relationships that were holding me back in both my personal and musical development,” Dalawari reveals. “The melody and harmonic choices emphasize that through the cyclic and meditative three-bar phrases, it’s as if I’m calling to someone and they aren’t receptive to what I have to say.”

Achiron slides in a wholly serendipitous quote from Debussy’s Clair de Lune on “For Ma,” just one of many examples of the deep resourcefulness these players can harness at any time. Parisi’s solo bass intro sets up a performance filled with vivid, lilting lyricism. The subtle recurring groove transitions and bracing piano and guitar solos of “Consciousness” give it a visceral appeal.

Dalawari explains “Turbulence” as “inspired by a plane ride to Japan. The pedal point in the middle that inspired the metric modulation was an accidental Finale input that I very much liked and committed to. The metric modulations and tempo changes represent turbulence on a plane, or in our minds.” Achiron’s curiously lingering solo guitar moment at the end seems apt, as the program proceeds with the beautiful guitar-led waltz “Imposter Syndrome,” before concluding with the brief and enigmatic “Outerlude.”

Dalawari approaches music in part from the perspective of someone versed in neuroscience, given his collegiate focus on Jazz Studies and Cognitive Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. Add to that the kind of broadminded musicianship fostered by the Chicago scene, an epicenter of jazz exploration from the music’s beginnings. “I absolutely love Chicago,” the drummer declares. “Chicago is a family with no shortage of creativity, inclusiveness and mentorship.”

The Chicago scene also values genre versatility, Dalawari adds, affording players the chance to play many different types of gigs over the span of a month. As he takes it all in, expanding his interests and abilities at a rapid pace, Dalawari has risen to become one of Chicago’s vital representatives as he continues his spirited musical journey.

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; 2023-2024 seasons). 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.