ONE NIGHT ONLY! Tom returns to Studio5 for a staged reading of his beautiful novel, telling Dickens' famous tale from the perspective of Scrooge's former business partner. Last year's show was a smash!

Tickets: $20-25, Students $15-20. Appropriate for ages 12+. Click HERE for tickets.

Béa and I have known Tom Mula almost as long as we've known each other. Tom is a brilliant actor/director/playwright, who, among many other accomplishments, portrayed Scrooge in the Goodman Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol" for seven years. Béa choreographed that show for ten years, which is how she got to know Tom. My friendship with Tom also extends back decades. He and I were co-writers on two theater productions, "Sylvia's Real Good Advice" (written with and based on the cartoon strip by Nicole Hollander), and "W!" (based on the presidency of George W. Bush). During Tom's run as Scrooge at the Goodman, a young girl who had seen the show told Tom that she thought Jacob Marley got a bad deal: Marley came back as a tormented ghost to tell Scrooge to change his ways in order to avoid his own fate, but Marley himself had no chance at redemption. Tom hadn't considered this, but agreed, and set out to correct the record. His beautiful novel, "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol", tells Dickens' famous tale from Marley's perspective. This impeccable story was a critical smash and has had many lives: Tom's recording of his reading of the novel was broadcast on NPR nationally for six years. Tom has performed the story across the country (including here at the Goodman) as a one-man play, and has adapted it for the stage for larger ensembles. All in all it has had over 400 productions, in 48 states, on four continents.

We are excited to announce that for one special night we will have Tom all to ourselves as he takes the Studio5 stage solo to perform an intimate reading of this inspiring, funny, deeply touching story. We hope you can join us to experience this master storyteller up close, and by all means, bring your family (appropriate for ages 12 and up).

We get it. This season is a busy one. But trust me, if you include this event in your holiday activities you will leave feeling enriched, and hopeful. At this point, can't we all use that? –SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Click below for a brief video preview:

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Andy Schumm, cornet & saxophone
John Otto, reeds
Paul Asaro, piano
John Donatowicz, banjo/guitar
Dave Bock, tuba

Holiday jazz with The Cellar Boys!

Let’s go back almost 100 years and celebrate the holidays with Chicago’s premiere traditional jazz group! The Chicago Cellar Boys specialize in the jazz and hot dance music from the 1920s and 30s (eg. Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong), and it is uncanny how correctly they perform it. And by correctly I do not mean “carefully”. Far from it. Within their stylistic accuracy is a wild abandon that makes us feel that no one has ever played this way before. Hearing this group is like time-traveling and walking in on an early form of jazz as it was being invented. Their repertoire contains some recognizable pieces that are still played in other contexts, but many that were exclusively of the era and have otherwise been lost to history. And all of it is extraordinarily fun. I can’t get enough of these guys. This performance will include plenty of holiday swing so you can get your jingle on. Come hear them for yourself. And if you feel like you just have to dance, absolutely no one is going to stop you.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Don Stiernberg, mandolin
Andy Brown, guitar
Christian Dillingham, bass
Justin Kramer, drums

Let’s swing in the holidays with the DSQ!

It’s no secret that Don Stiernberg is not only a friend of our series, he is my personal best pal. I love the guy and I love his music. For those who may not know, Don & I attended college together and he is the reason I wound up in Chicago — to play music with him. Don is acknowledged worldwide as a master of the jazz mandolin, and he’s got a fabulous band. Their performances are consistently tuneful and entertaining, filled with swinging jazz and dry humor. Come on out - it’s always a treat to see a show by the DSQ, especially at holiday time.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Larry Schanker, piano

He’s back! the brilliant composer/pianist and Chicago theater music legend Larry Schanker is returning to provide live, improvised accompaniment to an evening of classic silent films shown on our beautiful projection system. This is becoming a seasonal event for us, and each time is more fun than the last. Larry is an astounding talent, and improvises a complete score as he watches the film. It is unbelievable. If you have not been to Studio5 to experience this, you really ought to come by. Breathtaking. And tons of fun.

Details about the films will be coming soon! Stay tuned.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Jeremy Kahn, piano
Jim Gailloreto, saxophone
Larry Kohut, bass
Eric Montzka, drums

Most of a Nickel - music from Threepenny Opera, by the Jeremy Kahn Quartet

Get this one: In 2004, Jeremy Kahn recorded a CD that was a rethinking of Kurt Weill’s songs from The Threepenny Opera (including Mack The Knife). Jeremy was pleased with the results, but somehow, amazingly, the quartet NEVER ended up with a live performance of it. So here we are … in 2019. Jeremy has assembled the original lineup from the record (what a killer group!), and Studio5 is honored to present, as Jeremy calls it, the “Delayed 15th Anniversary World Premiere of Most of a Nickel”. Don’t miss it! I hear the next gig is scheduled for 2034.

To sample some of the music from this recording, click HERE.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Our own artistic director takes a turn on the Studio5 stage presenting an evening of his own music. More details coming soon!

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Alyssa Allgood, vocal
Mike Allemana, guitar
Dennis Carroll, bass
George Fludas, drums

“A jazz singer to the core...she’s off to a remarkable start, a young singer of unusual accomplishment and extraordinary potential.”
-Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

It’s always a pleasure to welcome vocalist Alyssa Allgood back to the Studio5 stage. She is poised, musically mature beyond her years, and she can scat up a storm. The last time I saw Alyssa she told me about a brand new quartet she’s sporting — to go with the cool new glasses, apparently — and I’m really eager to hear them live. This group is new enough, in fact, that I don’t even have a video to share with you … so you’ll just have to watch an old clip of her ripping it up at the Green Mill on “Exactly Like You” until you come on out to check out version 2.0!

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Now for The Good News: The Extraordinary People of WTTW’s Jay’s Chicago

Spend an evening with Emmy award winner, Jay Shefsky, host of WTTW’s long-running program Jay’s Chicago and Senior Producer of Chicago Tonight, as he shares stories and video segments he has gathered over the years covering the fascinating people in our own neighborhoods.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAY!

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Chris Madsen, tenor sax & arrangements
Paul Mutzabaugh, keyboard
Tim Seisser, bass
Jeremy Warren, drums

Kings of the Lobby, founded in 2015 by saxophonist Chris Madsen, plays his arrangements of pop/rock/R&B songs from the 70s through the 90s. The band combines elements of jazz and funk to reinterpret this classic repertoire and highlight Madsen's unique arranging style. Chris brought this band to Studio5 in 2018 and boy was it a funky good time! I’ve been eager to get them back. Come on by and hear them pressurize the cabin.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Grazyna Auguscik, voice
Ben Lewis, piano

The extraordinary Polish jazz singer Grazyna Auguscik has teamed up with one of our favorite Studio5 veterans, pianist Ben Lewis, to create reimagined versions of some of the most beautiful music this side of Belarus. Grazyna is an innovative vocalist who explores the edges of jazz, sometimes experimental, sometimes genre-bending, always intriguing. Ben is a Studio5 favorite who brings performances to our stage that are consistently artful, technically dazzling and thematically fascinating. With just voice and piano, Grazyna & Ben will place a sensitive contemporary lens on Frederic Chopin, Poland’s poetic romantic composer of mazurkas, sonatas, waltzes, nocturnes and ballades. The music by this incredible duo is both beautiful and difficult to describe. Click on the video for a sample of this exquisite pairing.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Paul Marinaro, vocal
Tom Vaitsas, piano
Mike Allemana, guitar
John Tate, bass
Gregory Artry, drums

More info coming soon!

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Reggie Thomas, piano
Dennis Carroll, bass
George Fludas, drums

One night recently at Studio5, Dennis Carroll and George Fludas told me I should check out a pianist they were working with named Reggie Thomas. When musicians like that sing someone’s praises, it is wise to pay attention. I looked him up online and was blown away. You can see for yourself in the video below. I am thrilled to welcome Reggie (with Dennis and George) to Studio5. Reggie Thomas is coordinator of the internationally recognized Northern Illinois University School of Music's Jazz Studies program. He has performed internationally in Canada, Italy, Poland, Senegal, and England, and his recordings include work with Clay Jenkins, Kim Richmond, Clark Terry, and Mike Vax. Thomas is co-author with Wynton Marsalis and others on the important jazz teachers' resource  Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz. And on October 4th we’ll all get to hear him in person. I can’t wait.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

Ticket prices [CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE TICKETS]: 
    General: $30 in advance, $35 at the door
    *Benefactor: $50 [see details below]
    Students (w/ID) & Seniors (65+): $25 in advance, $30 at the door

To celebrate their 20th Anniversary, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre will perform two complete concerts in repertory for the first time. For one weekend in September, they bring this unique experience to Studio5.

On September 28, TWO WORLD PREMIERES take the stage.

ROOT: mwanzo wa mwili ni roho is a 2-year project by 3Arts award winner Monique Haley and company cofounder Joe Cerqua. The piece explores a modern African American experience with African movement and rhythms. In its early form at Studio5 last fall, audiences were entranced by the athletic movement and soulful soundtrack.

Place Between Earth and Sky by choreographer Shannon Alvis and Grammy nominated composer Clarice Assad is inspired by Shannons family heritage and Native American myth. Internationally renowned composer Clarice, called "a talent quite beyond compare" (All Music Guide), weaves a lyrical, evocative soundtrack you won't want to miss.

This weekend of performances kicks off Cerqua Rivera’s landmark #CRDT20th Fall Concert Series America/Americans. The power and energy of the company's 10-member dance ensemble and 10-piece jazz band are not to be missed. Studio5 audiences will be the first to see the company’s 2019 new work in full production.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails at 7:30.

[NOTE: ONLINE TICKET SALES END ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. REMAINING TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.]

*Benefactor tickets: The cost of presenting larger, established ensembles at Studio5 is greater than what we can generate in ticket sales at our general prices. If you are interested in seeing more programming like this at Studio5 and are able to express your support by spending more to see this performance, please consider purchasing a Benefactor Ticket. To show our appreciation you will be invited to a pre-show champagne reception at 7:15 with members of the CRDT creative team.

Ticket prices [CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE TICKETS]: 
    General: $30 in advance, $35 at the door
    *Benefactor: $50 [see details below]
    Students (w/ID) & Seniors (65+): $25 in advance, $30 at the door

To celebrate their 20th Anniversary, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre will perform two complete concerts in repertory for the first time. For one weekend in September, they bring this unique experience to Studio5.

On September 27, the WORLD PREMIERE of American Catracho, their lauded exploration of immigration takes the stage. This suite debuted in sections as it was developed over the past three years. In 2019 three years of work are knit together in the company’s first-ever evening length suite.

An emotional, lyrical, engrossing piece, it has been called a tour de force (Chicago Magazine) and easily [Wilfredo’s] most promising work (Chicago Tribune).

This weekend of performances kicks off Cerqua Rivera’s landmark #CRDT20th Fall Concert Series America/Americans. The power and energy of the company's 10-member dance ensemble and 10-piece jazz band are not to be missed. Studio5 audiences will be the first to see the company’s 2019 new work in full production.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails at 7:30.

[NOTE: ONLINE TICKET SALES END ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. REMAINING TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.]

*Benefactor tickets: The cost of presenting larger, established ensembles at Studio5 is greater than what we can generate in ticket sales at our general prices. If you are interested in seeing more programming like this at Studio5 and are able to express your support by spending more to see this performance, please consider purchasing a Benefactor Ticket. To show our appreciation you will be invited to a pre-show champagne reception at 7:15 with members of the CRDT creative team.

Celebrating the music of Burt Bacharach!

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Megon McDonough, vocal
Fred Simon, piano
Larry Kohut, bass

I came across an interesting thought recently in an article in the New York Times. In reference to different periods in one’s life, the writer said, “There comes a point when it’s too late to make an old friend.” Since reading that I admit I think about it a lot, and I realize how much I cherish those friendships I have had for decades. My friendship with Megon McDonough is one of those. I met Megon through our mutual friend, Jeff Berkson … yikes, could it be 30 years ago? We have performed together countless times and I have had the distinct pleasure of producing several of her recordings. I admit to having been spoiled by her voice. After working with Megon it’s hard for other singers to measure up. Always a beautiful tone, always in tune, always telling me a story. And she’s a complete stylistic chameleon – it’s country, no it’s folk, ok now she’s a jazz singer. It doesn’t matter, it’s all wonderful. We are thrilled to welcome her to Studio5 with two other old friends of ours, the incredible pianist, Fred Simon, and that rock solid bassist, Larry Kohut. Together they will be celebrating the music of Burt Bacharach. Could this be better? I dare you to tell me how.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

By the way, in an age of slick production and autotune, watch this simple clip of Megon that someone captured on a phone during a soundcheck before a show … and you’ll know why she is a beloved artist. This is what she sounds like BEFORE the audience arrives.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Hosted by 2-time Moth Slam winner Scott Whitehair!

Join us for another evening of storytelling, full of laughs, sighs, and surprises. Hear true stories from the lives of our storytellers … true stories, yes, although perhaps sprinkled with the embellishments, exaggerations, and creative reconstruction of lapsed memories that we all use every day.

Our storytellers range in experience from first-timers to long-time professionals and all will draw you in as they engage in this age-old practice of sharing, entertaining, and community building.

More information about our presenters can be found HERE.

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Bobby Broom, guitar
Dennis Carroll, bass
Neil Hemphill, drums

Any discussion of jazz guitar in Chicago ultimately includes Bobby Broom. Bobby is such a respected musician here, having led several notable groups and with over a dozen recordings under his own name. But his notoriety is far reaching, and he has been keeping heavy company since he was a teenager playing with Al Haig and Sonny Rollins. Seriously. He played in Kenny Burrell’s Jazz Guitar Band, and worked with Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. John, and his early idol Charles Earland. Always an innovator, Bobby is constantly looking for something new to explore musically. His newest recording, Soul Fingers, produced by legendary drummer Steve Jordan, is drawn from Broom’s favorite songs of his childhood in the 1960s and ’70s. The album runs the gamut from The Beatles and Procul Harum to Bobbie Gentry and Motown. We are thrilled to welcome Bobby to Studio5.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Bobby Lewis, trumpet
Pat Mallinger, sax
Jeremy Kahn, piano
Larry Gray, bass
Jeff Stitely, drums

Curtis Mayfield, Natalie Cole, Ramsey Lewis, Jerry Butler, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight. Those are just some of the people Bobby Lewis has played with. Oh, and Peggy Lee. Peggy Lee! She said Bobby has  “a sound like no other. I like him best when he plays in pastels, but every note is beautiful … is loving. Bobby loves life as he loves music … and I love Bobby Lewis.” Wow. In a career of more than 7500 recording sessions and over a dozen of his own CDs, musically, Bobby Lewis has seen and heard it all. In fact, he’s played it all. And at 83 years young he is still at it, stronger than ever. It will be an honor to present Bobby and his outstanding quintet to kick off our Studio5 Fall 2019 season. Join us for an evening of outstanding music and fascinating stories from Bobby’s legendary career.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

Check out Bobby from a set at our old series at the Whiskey Lounge:

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Richard D. Johnson, piano
Sharel Cassity, alto sax
Charles Heath, drums
Dennis Carroll, bass

Gifted duo Richard Johnson & Sharel Cassity perform Dave Brubeck’s Time Out

Earlier this year Richard Johnson appeared at Studio5, presenting an extended suite of music from West Side Story. It was an inspired, spellbinding performance. That evening Richard told me that he and the extraordinary saxophonist, Sharel Cassity have also been traveling the country performing the music from Dave Brubeck’s iconic Time Out album. After that bit of news I could hardly get him back fast enough.

Dave Brubeck's Time Out is one of the highest selling jazz recordings of all time, and as Richard describes it, “It has made social, political and friendly statements to the world with its hit songs such as Take Five  and Blue Rondo à la Turk.  I am pleased to have the pleasure during 2019 to present it all around the country with this swinging group. Sit back and relax but listen intently as we take you on a journey of Swing through Brubeck's ears!”

Richard Johnson was a member of Wynton Marsalis’ Septet and the Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, and has shared jazz worldwide as a United States Musical Ambassador by the U.S. State Department. Saxophonist Sharel Cassity is a Juilliard graduate and was listed in DownBeat Magazine’s Critics Poll as Rising Star Alto Saxophone for nine consecutive years. She is member of the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Cuban Experience, the Jimmy Heath Big Band, Nicholas Payton TSO, Revive Big Band, Gregorio Uribe Big Band and the Cyrus Chestnut Brubeck Quartet. Won’t this be fun??

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Sarah Marie Young, ukulele & vocal
Allison Orobia, guitar & vocal
Leslie Beukelman, trumpet & vocal

Sarah Marie Young has appeared at Studio5 several times, and each performance has been so artful and soulful that the audience has hung onto every note. She not only is an exquisite performer, she puts so much thought into her presentation that audience members feel as if they’ve been given a valuable gift … and in fact, they have. Sarah recently told me about a new group she’s formed with two other talented women, Allison Orobia and Leslie Beukelman, called The Oh Yeahs. The three women come from diverse folk/soul/jazz backgrounds, with a common language of vocal harmony. Believing that anything Sarah is involved with would be worth hearing, I am eager to welcome them to Studio5. Just to be clear, Sarah is a serious jazz singer, but this trio is not strictly a jazz group … however, you know the influences won’t be far away. What I know is this: All three women have beautiful voices, and they ALL play instruments. Performing a combination of original songs and covers, the group promises an evening filled with great tunes and fun times. Buckle up, y’all. The Oh Yeahs are here.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Petra van Nuis, vocal
Dennis Luxion, piano

We are sorry to say that this performance has been cancelled due to a sudden illness.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

John Kornegay - alto sax
Jim Gailloreto - tenor sax
Peter Brusen - baritone sax
Doug Scharf - trumpet
Russ Phillips - trombone
Bob Sutter - piano
Doug Bistrow - bass
Bob Rummage - drums
special guest, Dee Alexander - vocals

Strings: Lisa Fako, Jeff Yang, Michèle Lekas, Jeri-Lou Zike, Wendy Benner, Sarah Kim

Dee Sings Billie with the MJO

The Metropolitan Jazz Octet (MJO) is the reawakening of a group that was created in the 1950s by saxophonist/arranger Tom Hilliard (1930-2006). When Hilliard’s health started to decline, he left the MJO library to his former student, Jim Gailloreto. In 2014 Gailloreto organized a group of musicians (including other former Hilliard students) to read through the charts and create a new iteration of Hilliard’s group. In early 2018 the MJO gave a riveting performance at Studio5 to a packed house. We are excited to welcome them back. 

This year, MJO will partner with dynamic jazz vocalist Dee Alexander – and a string section! – to perform music from their new album It’s Too Hot For Words, a reimagining of classic Billie Holiday songs.  Dee has selected swing standards such as The Blues Are a Brewin’, Ain’t Nobody’s Business and also iconic ballads like I’m a Fool To Want You and Billie’s famous Strange Fruit.

The CD will be released on Delmark Records in the Fall of 2019.  The music is both swinging and relevant, a beautiful vehicle for Dee’s voice and style.  2019 is the 60th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s passing, making this project all the more significant and meaningful.  The MJO will be appearing at the Chicago Jazz Fest in August. Here’s a unique opportunity to see this incredible group up close in our intimate venue.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Alyssa Allgood, Rose Colella, Elaine Dame - vocals
Dan Murphy - piano
Ashley Summers - bass
Chris Baker - drums
Chris Madsen - sax

What a fun night this is going to be! A trio of great Chicago jazz singers, Alyssa Allgood, Rose Colella and Elaine Dame celebrate the five-decade career of one of America’s most treasured “song stylists”, Nancy Wilson. Revered by millions around the world and labeled a “complete entertainer”, Wilson recorded more than 70 albums and won three Grammy Awards. Her soulful style and powerful stage presence catapulted her to fame in many genres including not only jazz, but blues, R&B and pop.

Alyssa Allgood, Rose Colella and Elaine Dame are no strangers to the followers of our series. They are each formidable vocal talents and compelling performers, with significant histories on stages in Chicago clubs and around the country. It turns out they are also good friends, and their joyous onstage chemistry is infectious. This talented trio will commemorate Nancy Wilson’s storied career in an evening of exquisite melodies and musical storytelling.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

Tickets to Inside/Out events: $8 in advance online, $15 at the door.

Click HERE for tickets.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is returning to Studio5 for a preview and discussion of American Catracho, their epic suite about immigration, three years in the making. This “Inside/Out” presentation is a brief introduction to the full work, and will give our Studio5 audience a special sneak peek inside CRDT’s creative process, in advance of their full production of American Catracho at Studio5 in September 2019.

Created by Cofounder and Artistic Director Wilfredo Rivera, Catracho has been called "a tour de force" (Chicago Magazine) and "easily [Wilfredo's] most promising work" (Chicago Tribune). For their 20th anniversary this year, CRDT is knitting together the segments they created 2016-2018. Join us for this special event to preview sections of the full-work-in-the-making, chat with the artists about how the piece was made, and give them your feedback. Inside/Out is CRDT’s interactive event series that showcases works in progress and invites you INSIDE the creative process, giving you the opportunity to help shape their new work with your input. By the way, CRDT’s strong company of dancers includes Dance Center Evanston alum, Juilliard graduate and current DCE faculty member, Shelby Moran Amarantos.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre uses dance and music to nourish the mind and the soul. They unite artists & audiences to explore themes that shape our community. Their work is rooted in their founders’ vision of what art can do – gather people to contemplate factors that knit our community together and differences that add complexity to our society. 

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Eva B. Ross, guitar & vocal
Grant Milliken, keys & vibes
Steve Rashid, keys & harmonica
Christian Dillingham, bass
Robert Rashid, drums

We begin our Studio5 2019 Summer Season with a happy collision of genres … and generations. Talented young singer/songwriter Eva B. Ross is no stranger to Studio5 audiences. She has performed as part of our New Year’s Practical Theatre shows for the past several years, and always brings down the house. Eva happens to be the daughter of our good friends, Paul Barrosse and Victoria Zielinski (the couple who introduced me to my wife), so there is, admittedly, personal history between us. I have known and explored music with Eva since she was a child. She grew up, attended UCLA and became a fixture in the university’s music community, with many significant performances including opening for Burt Bacharach, and winning the school’s renowned Spring Sing competition in front of an audience of 10,000 (past award recipients include Sara Bareilles and Maroon 5). This is a seriously talented young woman. In 2017 Eva and I traveled to Nashville to work with my old college buddy, Justin Niebank, which resulted in three beautiful singles (watch the video for “Nick’s House” below). Her songs are poetic, insightful, melodious and memorable. Her voice is soulful and sweet. Eva is now an active artist on the L.A. music scene in both live performance and session work (you may have heard her singing on the Jimmy Kimmel Show), and is busy making music with her talented young L.A. musician friends. She is currently working on her debut self-produced EP which will be released this summer. I am thrilled to be able to present Eva to our Studio5 audience in an evening all her own. She will be performing a mix of her own songs and the jazz standards she grew up with. I will be with her onstage, along with one of her gifted West Coast pals, Grant Milliken, bassist Christian Dillingham, and my son, Robert Rashid on drums. See? A happy collision of genres and generations. This will be a special night. I hope you can join us.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman: The Universalist and the Last Balladeer

Bill Overton, saxophones/vocal
Jeremy Kahn, piano
Rob Kassinger, bass
Eric Montzka, drums

Accomplished saxophonist and singer Bill Overton has performed with everybody from Doc Cheatham to Rosemary Clooney to Tony Bennett to Bo Diddley and the Temptations. For this special evening at Studio5 he will be presenting all the songs from the iconic recording, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman as well as selections from Coltrane’s and Hartman’s individual careers. Bill is not only a great musician, he is a sweet guy and a friend of our series -- we've been looking forward to his appearance at Studio5 for quite some time. He has really done his research on this classic recording and on Coltrane and Hartman as important artists. This evening will be filled with great music and fascinating stories. And by the way, Bill has assembled a killer group for the proceedings: Jeremy Kahn, Rob Kassinger and Eric Montzka will provide the perfect complement to Bill's lush tone and melodic phrasing.

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Larry Schanker, piano

The Films
One Week (1920 Buster Keaton comedy short about newlyweds who assemble a house from a kit)
The Fall of the House Of Usher (1928 short experimental horror film adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s story)
American Aristocracy (1916 interesting Douglas Fairbanks adventure/comedy/society piece)

Last October we invited our friend, the brilliant composer/pianist and Chicago theater music legend Larry Schanker, to come to Studio5 to perform live, improvised accompaniment to an evening of silent movies shown on our beautiful new projection system. It was more fun than ought to be allowed and we are so excited to do it again. Larry is an astounding talent, and improvises a complete score as he watches the film. It is truly breathtaking. Last time, we screened two comedies, but this time we thought we'd do something a bit different. We have selected two short films and one longer one (51 minutes) to make a program that will be about two hours in total. The three films could not be more different from each other. We will start with a hilarious Buster Keaton comedy short from 1920, followed by a short, very experimental horror film from 1928 (using all kinds of revolutionary techniques, e.g. double-exposures, filming images through prisms). Our final film will be a very early (1916) film by Douglas Fairbanks which is set in an affluent resort in New England. It's a fun narrative and makes for a fascinating window into early 20th Century society.

We don't want to give too much away, but we thought you might like to be able to see the Keaton film just to get a sense of what the evening will be like. Click below to watch One Week ... but turn off the sound. Leave that to Larry on Saturday!

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.

$20-25. Click HERE for tickets.

Christy Bennett, vocals
Art Davis, trumpet
Don Stiernberg, mandolin
Don Stille, accordion
Christian Dillingham, bass

Lovely vocalist Christy Bennett is full of interesting ideas and is backed by a unique, fabulous band. The last time she performed at Studio5 she presented an evening of Django Reinhardt’s vocal music (!) and it was a near sellout. This performance is a preview of the group’s upcoming recording that features the music of Irene Higginbotham. Higginbotham was a composer in the 40s whose music is rarely heard today. Her most famous tune, Good Morning, Heartache is a great example of her unique sound and has proven to be just the tip of the iceberg from her body of work. I can’t wait to hear what Fumée has cooked up for us this time!

We'll be recording this performance for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB, so you'll be part of the studio audience! See you there. -SR

Cash bar, light snacks, free parking right outside! Doors open for cocktails and socializing at 7:30.