TICKETS are $12 General/$6 Student. One-Set  concert - End time is around 9:00.

Love Call

Max Bessesen - Alto Saxophone

Ethan Philion - Bass

Devin Drobka - Drums

Love Call is a collaborative trio consisting of saxophonist Max Bessesen, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka. The trio formed during the height of the pandemic when Philion and Bessesen coped with their lack of performance opportunities by exploring adventurous new repertoire together in private sessions away from the stage. These informal meetings eventually coalesced into an exploration of free improvisation and abstract composition. The duo reunited with longtime-collaborator Devin Drobka when restrictions were lifted and the unit began to collaborate on new music while performing this material publicly around the country. Love Call performs several times a year ever since 2021 even though the group members live in different cities (New York, Chicago, Milwaukee). The trio has a distinctive musical approach marked by a congenial sense of trust and a unique, intuitive group language. Their performances feature free improvisation and compositions by each member of the group.

Ethan Philion is based in Chicago where he performs frequently with Ernest Dawkins, Mark Feldman, Greg Ward, Jon Irabagon, Russ Johnson, and more. He is praised for his “astounding musicality” by the Washington Post and deemed “a marvel” by Peter

Margasek. Bessesen’s music is described by JAZZIZ as “pushing boundaries without being abstruse...stirringly emotive.” He lives in New York city and has performed with Ron Miles, Tyler Mitchell, Darcy James Argue, and more. Drobka resides in Milwaukee and has worked with a wide variety of artists including Joe Lovano, Mario Pavonne, Greg Osby, Cecil McBee, and more. Chicago Reader describes his music as “pithy...There isn’t much in the midwest that sounds like this today.

Devin Drobka is one of the most in-demand and creative musicians in the midwest for the past 15 years. A deep love of jazz, metal, folk, hip-hop, ambient, idm, and classical music has helped shape Devin’s unique voice and vision on the drums both as a leader and as a sideman. His highly personal and creative drumming can be heard within the realm of jazz having performed with Greg Osby, Jerry Bergonzi, Dayna Stephens, and Joe Lovano as well as indie- folk bands like Field Report and indie rappers R.A.P. Ferreira and Serengeti.

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.

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