Jason Rigby Quartet

Mar 17  |  7 pm  |  Bedford Concert Hall  |  Free

"American saxophonist/composer Jason Rigby has this spontaneous capacity to adapt his way of playing to different styles and moods. He is a shape-shifter whose musical approach is a synonym for consistency regardless if he's playing in small groups such as the quartet of Mike Baggetta and Mark Guiliana, or large ensembles like the Alan Ferber Big Band. Rigby leads with resolve, evincing an outgoing posture, compositional bravura, and laudable flair for exploration.
- London Jazz News

Saxophonist and improviser Jason Rigby has created a compelling voice - one that is renowned worldwide - by embracing individuality and a creative direction driven by a focus on quality, patience, and a constant search for new artistic expression. His Zen-like attitude towards art and life inspire his artistic style, which critics claim "brings a fresh, creative spirit to the forum, opening the door to a world in need of musical rejuvenation."    

Having performed as both leader and collaborator at many of the world's top venues, Rigby appears on several critically-acclaimed recordings, several of which have been GRAMMY nominated.

Rigby's work as saxophonist and new composer includes projects leading a variety of ensembles with analog synthesizer, woodwinds, and cello quartet. Rigby has performed his own music with some of the world's top improvisers including Billy Hart, Tom Rainey, Rudy Royston, Thomas Morgan, Kermit Driscoll, Russ Lossing, Mike Baggetta, and Russ Johnson.

For the past several years Rigby has toured and recorded with Mark Guiliana's Jazz Quartet, Space Heroes, and BEAT Music. He has also performed as bandmember with Aretha Franklin, veteran jazz bassist Cameron Brown, award-winning composer/arranger/pianist Mike Holober, improvising trumpeter Dave Ballou, bassist Michael Formanek, drummer George Schuller, bassist Eivind Opsvik, and pianist Kris Davis. His considerable contributions to large ensembles include performances with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Miho Hazama, Alan Ferber, David Binney, Darcy James Argue, Asuka Kakaitani, and Arturo O'Farrill.

An avid pedagogue, Jason Rigby shares his excitement and vision with young artists through a student-focused method. He strives to push each student beyond their boundaries in search of unique means of expression by exploring various musical styles and genres and across disciplines.  As assistant professor of Music  at Towson University, Rigby deftly balances his output as a pedagogue along with touring the world with the aforementioned ensembles.

Alyssa Allgood

Mar 18  |  7 pm  |  Bedford Concert Hall  |  Free

Named a “Rising Star Female Vocalist” in the 2024 Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll, Alyssa Allgood has captured attention for her dynamic vocal command, sophisticated songwriting, and captivating performances. Showcasing modern sensibilities, Allgood is afearless vocalist known for her confident musical interaction, fierce improvisation, and vulnerable expression. Downbeat Magazine has praised her “boldness, swagger, and surefooted musicianship” while the New York City Jazz Record has recognized her “force, clarity and jazz integrity.”

A charismatic and engaging performer, Allgood regularly headlines the acclaimed Jazz Showcase, Green Mill and Winter’s Jazz Club in her Chicago homebase. She tours frequently, having appeared at such esteemed venues as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’sClub, Birdland, Mezzrow in New York, Blues Alley in DC, Blue Llama in Ann Arbor, Jazz, TX in San Antonio, Rudy’s Jazz Room in Nashville, The Century Room in Tucson and many others.

As a recording artist, Allgood has released four albums as a leader. Her 2024 release, From Here, is a powerful collection of original music recorded with internationally renowned musicians Geoffrey Keezer, John Patitucci, Kendrick Scott and Greg Ward. Two songs from the album were selected as finalists in the 2023 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the 2023 International Songwriting Competition.

Allgood is currently nominated for “Best Individual Jazz Musician” in the 2024 Chicago Reader Poll. Other notable awards include winning the Inaugural Ella Fitzgerald JazzVoice Competition (2017), and being named “Best Jazz Entertainer” in the Chicago MusicAwards (2019).

Greg Ward’s Quintet

Mar 19  |  7 pm  |  Bedford Concert Hall  |  Free

Alto saxophonist and composer Greg Ward, considered one of the most versatile saxophonists of his generation, the bandleader, composer and arranger is proud to launch his new group Rogue Parade with the release of this new album. A quintet of heavyweight creative Chicago musicians, Rogue Parade features guitarists Matt Gold and Dave Miller, bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Quin Kirchner. Stomping Off From Greenwood follows his critically acclaimed Greenleaf debut Touch My Beloved’s Thought (2016), which focused on the music of Charles Mingus.

Having earned wide acclaim as a sideman with artists like Prefuse 73, Lupe Fiasco, Tortoise, William Parker, Andrew D'Angelo, and Mike Reed, Greg Ward is now excited to introduce his wide-spanning audience to his new, innovative group, Rogue Parade. Following a 2016 performance at The Whistler, as part of Relax Attack Jazz Series, Rogue Parade was approached by the Chicago club to present a month-long residency. The ensemble honed their sound by following this residency with an extensive Midwest tour, before heading into the studio to capture their collective energy on record. This nine-track collection explores Rogue Parade’s unique two guitar instrumentation and ultimately blends the sonic worlds of acoustic and electronic.

In the lead up to the release of Stomping Off From Greenwood, Ward is excited to release three singles from the album: “Metropolis”, “The Contender” and “Excerpt 1”. Due to be released on November 30th, “Metropolis” will simultaneously mark the album’s pre-release. Inspired by the time Ward spent in Chicago and New York, “Metropolis” serves as an ode to the many life-changing experiences the saxophonist has encountered in both of these vibrant cities. During his time in Chicago, Ward worked with the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Chamber Music Series, and was commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago for a new composition, which was performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 2009. Upon moving to New York, the Illinois-native also received a commission/residency from the popular NYC Jazz Gallery. These two metropolitan cities have continued to inform Ward’s creativity. The NIU-graduate enthuses, “on this recording, I hope you can feel the energy that I experience on a daily basis living in a place where so many different lives and perspectives are intertwined.” This track features a duet by guitarists Dave Miller and Matt Gold and leads to a trio with Ward on alto saxophone.  

The second single, due to be released on December 14th is titled “The Contender”. Although Ward has always made time in his routine for exercise, it was only recently that he delved into boxing. Featuring a solo from both Wardand Matt Gold, “The Contender” translates some of the saxophonist’s boxing combinations into music.

The third single from the album, “Excerpt 1” is due to be released onDecember 28th and  represents an important ritual included in the composer’s daily routine. Ward understands the importance of developing his current compositional talents and so, makes a conscious effort to compose something, however short or long, almost every day. “Usually, I'm just working on thematic development of some sort with hopes of coming out with even a small fragment that's worth turning into a new piece.  Sometimes, a short thought presents itself. “Excerpt 1” is one of these”, Ward explains.

With the support of receiving an Individual Artist Grant from the Department of  Cultural Affairs and Special Events in Chicago, Greg Ward is excited to present Rogue Parade on Stomping Off From Greenwood, the ensemble’s debut studio recording. The group will celebrate this music at The Green Mill, Chicago on January 11th & 12th.

Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti

& Frank Rosaly – Mestizx

Mar 20  |  7 pm  |  Bedford Concert Hall  |  $10

MESTIZX is Bolivian-born singer and multi-medium performer Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and renowned Chicago expat jazz drummer Frank Rosaly's debut album as co-composers, arrangers and musicians.

Partners in both marriage and art, the Amsterdam-based Ferragutti and Rosaly dove into the sounds of their respective ancestral roots in Bolivia, Brazil, and Puerto Rico to create a deeply personal meditation on decolonization and the defiant power of ritual and protest. They chose the title MESTIZX – a non-gendered version of the sometimes slurred Spanish colonial word for a “mixed person” - as a means of both challenging and embracing the liminality of their identities and artistic practices.

Rosaly says: “I grew up quite Puerto Rican in my home, but was taught to mask it outside my home. I wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish, so the drums eventually became my language, secretly tying together my own feeling of connection to mi tierra. This record is the first time I actively give voice to the nuance within myself, allowing me to take ownership of this in-between, which is what this album communicates for me… There is this unusual place that exists between these two cultures, of which I am both. There is a complex story in that sliver of in-betweenness, worthy of giving voice to all of us...  more

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