Local Note Jazz's Upcoming Shows

Puerto Rican-born, Chicago-based tenor saxophonist, multi-woodwind instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and educator Roy McGrath continues to expand the reach of Afro-Caribbean jazz through his performances, compositions, and collaborations. His music bridges the folkloric traditions of Puerto Rico with the improvisational language of jazz, creating a voice that is both rooted in heritage and forward-looking in scope.

Through his work as a performer, composer, and educator, Roy McGrath continues to build bridges between traditions, cultures, and generations. His artistry reflects the intersection of Puerto Rican identity and the evolving language of jazz—an ongoing dialogue between island and city, memory and innovation.

The Chris Greene Quartet comes of age! Led by native Evanstonian saxophone giant Chris Greene, the CGQ has been together for 21 years. Featuring Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards, Marc Piane on acoustic and electric bass, and drummer Steve Corley, the band’s unique chemistry is the result of having this stable lineup for most of those 21 years. It has been one of the most highly-visible units on Chicago’s fertile jazz scene, critically lauded and three-time recipients of the Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago” Readers Poll as “Best Jazz Ensemble”. The band’s music respects the heritage and history of Jazz, America’s Black creative music, while incorporating elements of funk, hip-hop, rock, Afro-Cuban music, the blues, and reggae, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the band members. The CGQ is currently celebrating the release of “Conversance”, the first-ever jazz album released by Pravda Records, Chicago’s longest-running indie-rock label. Now you can buy them a whiskey!

Petra van Nuis (pronounced Pay-tra van Nouse) is a Chicago-based jazz vocalist who has been described in Downbeat Magazine as having “a light, gorgeous and fairly delicate voice…a gift for melody and plenty of rhythmic confidence.” All About Jazz Magazine calls her music “hauntingly atmospheric and filled with creative substance…poetic, moving and subtly provocative.” Famed jazz critic and author of “Singing Jazz” Bruce Crowther says “van Nuis is not as well known internationally as should be the case although she has a devoted following in Japan. An exceptionally gifted singer, she has a light yet subtly textured sound and is always delightfully melodic….lyrics are clearly very important to her and she delivers them with admirable sincerity.”

A Chicagoan since 2003, Petra sings at all the finest jazz venues in town including the Green Mill, Andy’s Jazz Club, Winter’s Jazz Club, SPACE, Fitzgerald’s Nightclub and the Jazz Showcase. Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs has presented Petra at the Chicago Cultural Center and Chicago Summer Dance. The Jazz Institute of Chicago has featured Petra’s Recession Seven band at the Chicago Jazz Festival and Jazz City.

Andy Brown is a musician based in Chicago who specializes in what he calls “old-school jazz guitar.” Born in New York in 1975, he has played professionally for thirty years. He has had a varied performing career that has included stints in Cincinnati and New York City. He has been called a “superior mainstream guitarist” in Downbeat magazine.

Since coming to Chicago in 2003, Andy has been fortunate to work at many of the area's finest jazz venues with his own bands, as well as playing his unique brand of solo jazz guitar. He has backed visiting jazz names at places including the Jazz Showcase and Ravinia. Currently, he plays solo guitar every Thursday at the Green Mill, leads his quartet every Sunday at Andy's Jazz Club and performs with his trio monthly at Winter’s Jazz Club.

In 1988, Steve Million was a semifinalist in the internationally renowned Thelonious Monk Piano Competition; that same year, the Missouri native moved to Chicago and never looked back. The music of Monk continued to play an important role in his career. In the 90s, he formed a two-keyboard band called Monk’s Dream with Mike Kocour and Robert Shy; in the 2000s created the humor-filled band Thelonious Moog with Joe "Guido" Welsh; and is now part of a piano duo with esteemed pianist Jeremy Kahn called Double Monk that performs the music of Monk with their arrangements and sometimes with the modern dancer Ariane Dolan.

Sarah Marie Young is an award-winning (Montreux Jazz Competition, Thelonious Monk Competition) singer, songwriter, and musician. She has been featured with Postmodern Jukebox, Playing For Change's "Skin Deep" video with Buddy Guy, and has played festivals on tour all over Europe and Brazil. With four albums out, Sarah also sings with the acoustic group, The Oh Yeahs, and is a songwriter for the Story Jam storytelling series.