Zach Brock and Phil Markowitz Quartet on Tour

Acclaimed violinst Zach Brock and pianist Phil Markowitz will be performing together in the midwest late April. Supported by Evan Gregor on bass and Jon Deitemyer on drums, the quartet will be criss-crossing the States, including performances at the Dazzie Jazz (Denver, CO on April 27) and the Green Mill (Chicago, IL on May 3–4).

Chet Baker has praised Markowitz as "one of the most sensitive, lyrical and inventive piano players of all time," and jazz critic Neil Tesser has hailed Brock as "the pre-eminent improvising violinist of his generation."

For more information:
Zach Brock  |  Phil Markowtiz  |  Sno' Peas, written by Markowitz and performed by Brock and the Magic Number

Patricia Barber Releases "Smash" on Concord Jazz

Critically-acclaimed pianist Patricia Barber has issued her latest release, "Smash," on Concord Jazz. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune describes the album as "a brilliant collection of original songs, all dispatched with Barber's famously voluptuous voice and steeped in her atmospheric instrumental settings."

Barber will be touring internationally, including release shows at the Green Mill (Chicago) and the Jazz Standard (NYC). Barber is supported by John Kregor on guitar, Larry Kohut on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.

For more information:
Patricia Barber  |  Smash  |  Behind the making of "Smash"

Matt Ulery Releases "By a Little Light" on Greenleaf Music

Bassist and composer Matt Ulery has issued his latest release, "By a Little Light," on Greenleaf Music.

Featuring Ben Lewis and Rob Clearfield alternating on piano; Michael Caskey and Jon Deitemyer alternating on drums; Zach Brock on violin; Grazyna Auguscik on vocals; James Davis on trumpet; and members of the Grammy-winning modern classical group Eighth Blackbird, the double album is being praised by music critics:

• Downbeat magazine: 4½ star review
• NPR Music: 50 Favorite Music Albums in 2012
• NPR Music: Top 10 Jazz Albums in 2012
• Chicago Tribune: Best Jazz CDs of 2012

For more information:
Matt Ulery  |  By a Little Light  |  "To Lose Your Mind" from the album

Grazyna Auguscik in Europe and Chicago

Award-winning vocalist Grazyna Auguscik will be touring through Eastern Europe in early November in support of her upcoming album "Man Behind the Sun" on EMI Classics. The tour will return home with an record release show at the Green Mill in Chicago on November 16. Auguscik's group features Rob Clearfield on piano, John Kregor on guitar, Matt Ulery on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.

Jazz critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune notes, "When Auguscik unspooled the long, sinuous, wordless vocals that are at the core of her art, even skeptics must have been seduced."

For more information:
Grazyna Auguscik  |  Green Mill

Jon Deitemyer debuts "Trio + Trio" on May 1

Led by Jon Deitemyer on drums, the Jon Deitemyer Trio + Trio premieres at Jerry's Sandwiches on May 1 for its ongoing Eyes and Ears Series.

Deitemyer was awarded an 2012 Illinois Arts Council grant for new compositions written exclusively for the Trio + Trio project, which features Rob Clearfield on piano, Ben Bell Bern on trumpet, Liz Deitemyer on french horn, Kendall Moore on trombone, and Matt Ulery on bass.

For more information:
Jerry's Sandwiches  |  Ears and Eyes Series

Moshier-Lebrun Collective on NPR "JazzSet"

The recent Moshier-Lebrun show at Chicago's Jazz Showcase aired this May on the NPR's "JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater." The show featured works from the "Studs Turkel Project" as well as selections from the recent Local Colorists EP, as written and arranged by OA2 Records artists Mike Lebrun on tenor sax and Josh Moshier on piano, supported by John Tate on bass, John Moulder on guitar, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.

Moshier's "Studs Turkel Project," an awarded commission of the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant, is described by Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich as pointing "to the craft of Moshier's writing and the delicacy with which this ensemble interprets it."

For more information:
The Local Colorists EP Download  |  NPR's JazzSet

Jon Deitemyer Quartet Releases Debut Album

Featuring Dan Bruce on guitar, Ben Lewis on piano, Matt Ulery on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums, the "Collected Shorts" EP showcases a six-song selection of favorite compositions written by Deitemyer. The long-awaited album is now available on iTunes.

"Iowa City" from the album  |  Purchase iTunes

Jangeun Bae Trio's "Go+" featuring Greg Osby

The Jangeun Bae Trio featuring Greg Osby with Jangeun Bae on piano, Ryan McGillicuddy on bass, Jon Deitemyer on drums, and guest musician Greg Osby on sax has officially released the recording "Go+" on Inner Circle Music. Acclaimed jazz drummer Ari Hoenig has praised Bae as a "brilliant and emotional composer with a limitless imagination."

For more information:
Jangeun Bae on Inner Circle Music  |  "Joga" from the album

Ryan Cohan Composition Premiere

Pianist/composer Ryan Cohan has debuted "The River," the highly-anticipated composition inspired by his group's recent tour of Africa.

Praised as "a wonderfully inventive Chicago pianist" (Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune), the 2009 Guggenheim Award winner is supported by Geof Bradfield on sax, Lorin Cohen on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums, performing at venues throughout the Chicagoland area this season.

For more information:
Ryan Cohan  |  JazzChicago