Chicago Underground is an avant-garde jazz ensemble formed in Chicago in 1997 based around the core duo of cornetist

Rob Mazurek Rob Mazurek (born 1965) is an American composer, cornetist, improviser and visual artist living in Chicago, Illinois. Biography Rob Mazurek is an American electro-acoustic composer, cornetist, improviser and visual artist living in Chicago, Illi ...

and drummer/percussionist Chad Taylor. They have recorded and performed as the Chicago Underground Duo, Trio, Quartet or Orchestra depending on how many additional musicians are included. The ensemble which has released numerous recordings on the Thrill Jockey and Delmark labels. __TOC__

Rob Mazurek / Chad Taylor

Rob Mazurek was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1965, and played trumpet and cornet in high school. After high school he attended the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago, and began playing gigs with local jazz musicians. In 1996, Mazurek founded a workshop at Chicago jazz club The Green Mill called Chicago Underground for the performance of avant-garde, improvisatory jazz. By 1998, a new ensemble had formed around this idea, featuring guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Chad Taylor, bassist Noel Kupersmith, and trombonist Sara Smith. After this ensemble released an album on Chicago's Delmark Records as the Chicago Underground Orchestra, Mazurek and Taylor continued to form groups under the Chicago Underground umbrella, performing as the Chicago Underground Duo, Chicago Underground Trio and Chicago Underground Quartet.

Discography

As Chicago Underground Duo

*''12° of Freedom'' (Thrill Jockey, 1998) *''

Synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who re ...

'' (Thrill Jockey, 2000) *''Axis and Alignment'' (Thrill Jockey, 2002) *''In Praise of Shadows'' (Thrill Jockey, 2006) *''Boca Negra'' (Thrill Jockey, 2010) *''Age of Energy'' (Northern-Spy, 2012) *''Locus'' (Northern-Spy, 2014)

As Chicago Underground Trio

*''

Possible Cube ''Possible Cube'' is an album by Chicago Underground Trio which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Delmark label. Reception In his review for AllMusic, Michael G. Nastos states: "the trio weaves in and out of improvisations and written p ...

'' (Delmark, 1999) *''

Flamethrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World ...

'' (Delmark, 2000) *''

Slon Slon may refer to: *Elephant in many Slavic languages *Slon, a village in Cerașu Commune, Prahova County, Romania *Slon.ru, a Russian magazine *Russian abbreviation of the Solovki prison camp (Соловецкий лагерь особого на ...

'' (Thrill Jockey, 2003) *''

Chronicle A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...

'' (Delmark, 2007)

As Chicago Underground Quartet

*''Chicago Underground Quartet'' (Thrill Jockey, 2001) *''Good Days'' (

Astral Spirits Records Astral Spirits Records is an independent record label specializing in free jazz, improvisation, and experimental music. Based in Austin, Texas, the label was founded in 2014 by musician Nathan Cross, who started Astral Spirits as a platform for ...

, 2020)

As Chicago Underground Orchestra

*''

Playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

'' (Delmark 1998)

As Pharoah & The Underground

*''

Spiral Mercury ''Spiral Mercury'' is a live album by Pharoah & the Underground, featuring saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, trumpeter Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor of the Chicago Underground Duo, along with percussionist Mauricio Takara of the São Paulo Underg ...

'' (Clean Feed Records, 2014) - with

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

and São Paulo Underground

References

External links

Interview on All About Jazz website
{{Authority control Northern Spy Records artists Avant-garde jazz musicians American jazz ensembles from Illinois Musical groups from Chicago Jazz musicians from Illinois