Jason Roebke in Concert

Corbett vs. Dempsey is pleased to present bassist Jason Roebke and his quartet with saxophonist and clarinetist Edward Wilkerson Jr., pianist Mabel Kwan, and drummer Marcus Evans. In support of their bristling CvsD CD Four Spheres, Roebke features compositions utilizing both graphic and traditional notation, leaving ample room for improvisation and interplay, while imbuing each piece with its own particular character. Investigating the interrelationships between flow and cessation, the quartet is at once organic and halting, Roebke and Evans playing together with great assurance, but occasional interruptions of metronomes or Roebke's lo-fi cassette recordings pushing against the fluidity and expressiveness in revelatory ways. Roebke's own bass playing has been a hallmark of numerous ensembles, both working and ad hoc, including Jason Stein Trio, Jeb Bishop Trio, James Falzone’s KLANG, Jorrit Dijkstra’s Flatlands Collective, and Pillow Circles. In a glowing review in JazzWord, Ken Waxman wrote that Four Spheres is "infused with the exploratory principals that have animated Chicago sounds since at least the mid-1960s." Any opportunity to hear the great Wilkerson should be taken, and together with this dynamic ensemble, Roebke has established one of the great groups of contemporary Chicago music. Come hear for yourself.