Local Note Jazz's Upcoming Shows

Nate Lepine - Reeds

Anton Hatwich - Bass

Tomasso Moretti - Drums

Nate Lepine is an acclaimed Chicago-based tenor saxophonist, flutist, and composer who has been a foundational pillar of the city's jazz, indie rock, and improvised music communities since the early 1990s. Best known as a versatile session musician and sideman, he has recorded and toured with prominent alternative music acts while leading his own jazz ensembles. Lepine has appeared on more than three dozen albums, frequently collaborating as a touring or studio musician for legendary indie rock mainstays like Cursive and Iron & Wine, as well as the Chicago alternative rock outfit Poi Dog Pondering. Within the strict jazz realm, he has lent his deep, expressive tenor voice to projects led by notable Chicago figures such as drummer Quin Kirchner, alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella, and the avant-garde jazz collective Herculaneum

Brian Gephart - Saxophones

Tom McCarthy - Guitar

Chris Dammann - Bass

Eric Montzka - Drums

https://briangephart.com/

Brian Gephart, Evanston’s own jazz saxophonist, jazz educator (Brian teaches the jazz combos at ETHS), and composer, has put together a jazz group of some of the Chicago area’s best jazz musicians to perform his original jazz tunes, as well as some classic jazz standards. They have been performing at jazz clubs around Chicago for years. Brian has been in high demand, recording many CDs as a leader, co-leader, and sideman on tenor and soprano saxophones.

Evan Steinkoler - Piano

Kaden Schmidt - Bass

Calvin Simmers - Drums

Evan Steinkoler is an up-and-coming pianist, vocalist, and composer with terrific dynamic range, inventive soloing, and a feel for the instrument well beyond his years. His music blends jazz, pop, and funk, and he has performed in Bay Area venues such as the Freight & Salvage and Yoshi’s, and abroad at the Umbria, Vienne, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, as well as at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. His debut album, Said & Done, is set to be released at the beginning of next year.

Evan has studied with renowned jazz pianists Ben Stolorow, Susan Muscarella, Jeremy Kahn, and Taylor Eigsti. He was the winner of the Dick Conte Piano Scholarship Award in 2023, and was singled out for a scholarship to the Stanford Jazz Institute as the top soloist at the 2024 Campana Jazz Festival. He was a 3-year member of the Jazz School Studio Band, which in 2024 won the Downbeat Magazine Award for Best High School Large Jazz Ensemble and subsequently toured European jazz festivals. His Jazz Ensemble and Quintet at El Cerrito High School were the 1st place winners at the 2024 CA Jazz Championships. He is currently a student at Northwestern University majoring in Jazz Piano and Electrical Engineering, where he hopes to blend his skills as a musician and engineer in the development of new music technology. With the Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra, he competed in the 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is a teaching artist at the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp and Stanford Jazz Institute.

Quentin Coaxum - Trumpet

Lenard Simpson - Alto

Matt Gold - Guitar

Clark Sommers - Bass

Ernie Adams - Drums

https://my.jazzstl.org/3665/3666

Quentin Coaxum is an acclaimed American jazz trumpeter, composer, and music educator who has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in the contemporary Chicago jazz scene. Known for his expressive melodic phrasing and deep respect for the jazz tradition, Coaxum bridges modern electronic sampling with timeless acoustic jazz roots.

Maja Rios is an accomplished vocalist who sings all styles of jazz, including standards, Brazilian jazz in English and Portuguese, modern jazz, smooth jazz, soul jazz, and much more. This range of styles encompasses all eras of jazz. She currently performs with a jazz duo featuring her vocals, piano and digital drums. Their sound is so expansive they’re known as a duo that sounds like a quartet. In addition to her work with her duo, she performs in a trio as well. She is also a jazz lyricist who has written for top musicians. During her career, she has recorded 4 CDs of original and standard material.

Maja Rios, in her career, has either performed or recorded with a series of renowned jazz artists. Some of the more noteworthy artists include: Melvin Sparks, Calvin Newborn, Carl Grubbs, Bobby Broom, Grover Pruitt, and BeBop Samuel Thomas. She has also contributed lyrics to compositions for a number of jazz artists. Some of these artists include: Carl Grubbs, Melvin Sparks, Gigi Gryce, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Henderson as well as many others. She was chosen by Joe Henderson to write lyrics for his compositions, which were well received and lauded!