Illinois
Description The 5 after 7 Project is a collaborative of diverse musicians residing in the Chicagoland area. The group performs thought provoking music from jazz to classical. The 5 after 7 Project was founded by Saalik Ziyad while he was attending Northern Illinois University. Most of the compositions performed are written by Saalik and can be arranged to fit the needs of different audiences and age groups. The band size can range from a duo to a decet. Artistic Vision The vision and mission of The 5 after 7 Project is to entertain and educate the world through music. Music is a universal language of peace, love and struggle for humanity in the world. Most of the compositions that we perform are steeped in the tradition of jazz, but we also look towards the future. the duty to perform music that brings about social change through peace and responsibility is a concept we embrace in our music. Marketing The 5 after 7 Project markets itself as an ensemble that plays different kinds of improvised jazz music from traditional swing to everything else. Presenting varying themed concerts is a part of our marketing approach. For example, we have performed concerts focusing on the music of the Bebop Masters, such as Lee Morgan, Thelonius Monk Charlie Parker and others, as a specific area of study. We also like to bring in special guests, including master performers that we respectfully call "our elder's" as a marketing component and for reaching audiences unfamiliar with our sound as a promotional aspect. Our audience is very diverse from age to race and have found using the internet and myspace, along with other social networking sites to be very effective for marketing our availability and announcing upcoming performances. We also list our performances with local newspaper, radio, and other media outlets. Past Performances of the 5 after 7 Project include: Velvet Lounge Kennedy King College The Green Dolphin Street Chicago Park District The Sabre Room Marie’s Restaurant The Loft Society Chicago Jazz Festival Jazz Showcase of Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club in Poznan, Poland The Redstone Room in Davenport, Iowa
A bio of being Ten Cents Short Ten Cents Short is a band from the Chicago suburbs that are all about good music & a good time. They combine reggae with punk, throw in a little ska a pinch of hip-hop, and top it off with some good old rock & roll to create a style that is the recipe for a good time. Ten Cents Short is' Derek Scott- lead vocals/guitar Jason Winter- bass guitar/vocals Jerry Russ- percussion Rex Balcita- turntablist They have been playing together as a band now for 4 years. The band started out as Derek playing guitar and singing, Jerry playing bass, and a guy named Max playing drums. Well Max went crazy and Jerry decided to take on the drums for Ten Cents Short. He picked up the drums and a new bass player (formerly of California Orange) was added to the band'Jason. They played together for a couple years and then Derek met a DJ named Rex. Derek heard Rex scratching and asked if he had ever considering spinning with a band' Rex agreed to give it a try and clicked with the band right away, adding a new piece to Ten Cents Short. They immediately fell into place as a band writing song after song, and playing show after show with a chemistry that is unmatched. If you haven't seen Ten Cents Short yet you need to. Their live show is unbelievable. The intensity wherever they play and the good vibe just cannot be missed. You feel it no matter if you're a virgin to their music, or you've seen them 50 times. They are right now in the middle of recording their first actual album that is due to come out on their own label 'Ten Joint Records' this summer '04. A bunch of recordings of Ten Cents Short are out there but most are all bootlegs or demos past out at live shows. You could try to classify their music, but it would be pointless. There are so many flavors, and styles in their music it makes it a classification of its own' just damn good music.
INFLUENCES (Including but certainly not limited to): Prince, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Steve Coleman, Maceo Parker, insomnia, Stevie Wonder, Debussy, A Tribe Called Quest, Vangelis, James Brown, sexual frustration, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, John Coltrane, Ani DiFranco, Chaka Khan, Wayne Shorter, Richard Pryor, happiness, the Roots, Quincy Jones, D'Angelo, Rakim, unrequited love, Lao Tzu... Places we've played: Elbo Room, Martyrs', Chicago Metro, Double Door, Navy Pier Skyline Stage, Map Room, Schuba's Tavern, Beat Kitchen, Pete Miller's Steakhouse, various Chicago and suburban outdoor festivals such as: Taste of Chicago, Little Black Pearl Jazz Festival, Custer St. Fair of the Arts, Evanston Starlight Concert series, African Festival of the Arts, The Rob Linkhart show (cable access), and college concerts at Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Columbia College, etc... "To me, the Chris Greene Quartet is acoustic jazz with a garage band mentality. The Quartet draws its collective excursions and in-your-face intensity from the current sounds of rock, funk, fusion and soul. Moreover, we're able to achieve this lofty goal due to a healthy dose of respect jazz's more traditional elements - swing, blues, interaction, the 'Spanish tinge'." You and some friends stumble into a jazz club somewhere in Chicago. You are not quite familiar with the genre, but you have heard enough to know what to expect. You assume that the four guys who are preparing to play will do something that is mellow and cool, because that is what jazz musicians do. They will avoid anything that even resembles pop music, because that type of music has always been taboo in the more sophisticated jazz circles. But then the quartet begins to play, and you hear and see something that suddenly ruins all preconceived notions of what jazz music is supposed to be. The songs are spirited and melodic. The band's energy is contagious - enough so that the crowd is now standing and making an improvised dance floor out of the little bit of space in front of the band. More surprisingly, the crowd is composed of people who are young and old, black and white. Something different is going on here, something which causes you to want more. The young leader of the band, the one who has been wowing the crowd with his saxophone skills, then introduces himself as Chris Greene. Chris Greene is determined to fight musical segregation. He is making a name for himself on the Chicago jazz circuit by attempting to fight the many stereotypes which accompany his beloved genre. Greene is the leader of a quartet of musicians, called The Chris Greene Quartet, who want people to know that jazz is not for old people, and it doesn't have to stand in stark contrast to popular music. His is a form of jazz which embraces youthful energy and pop accessibility. Audiences do not feel forced to passively sit and play it cool while Greene does his thing, detached from the crowd. He and his band of highly-touted musicians - Damian Espinosa on piano, Marc Piane on acoustic bass, and Tyrone Blair on drums - are committed to connecting with their audience each and every night. Greene's lifelong willingness to fully embrace pop music while holding true to the roots of jazz has distinguished him for as long as he can remember. Greene was one of the rare teenagers who played in the school band and had time for both John Coltrane and Michael Jackson. He made sure that he didn't isolate himself during the storied MTV years of the mid-1980's. He learned very early in life that some of the best jazz is made by people who know the rules inside and out, and are more than willing to break them. As with all genres of music, people are quick to try to place jazz in a box. As with all genres of music, there are people who are willing to think outside of that box. Greene has always found himself drawn to these people. It is now no surprise that he is considered in high regard as a saxophonist who encourages his band to blend blues, gospel, and funk into what they are doing. Greene is excited about the future of jazz. He hopes to present another viable musical option to people who want more than what is out there. He is surrounded by musicians who constantly challenge him both in the rehearsal room and on Chicago's stages. The Chris Greene Quartet is developing a reputation for putting on inspired, impassioned shows. Most appealing, however, is the band's desire to never play it safe. They understand that there is a certain amount of risk in never having two shows be the same. But Chris Greene also realizes that when musicians make themselves vulnerable onstage, people react. It may even inspire audiences to do something unexpected and spontaneous, such as getting up and dancing in a jazz club on the somewhere in Chicago.
BooN Band is Chicago's premier rock & roll act performing most everyone's favorite music. From covers of current performers like Cold Play, No Doubt, Fiona Apple and Rachael Yamagata to timeless rock classics from Janis Joplin, the Beatles and Led Zepplin, from R&B and Blues standards to our own memorable original songs, BooN provides an exciting and engaging performance of everyone's favorite music. BooN is fronted by the spectacular voice of Bree Del Campo. A classically trained vocalist with the talent to transcend traditional stylistic boundaries, Bree is equally at home singing jazz, opera, show tunes or her first love, rock & roll. Reminiscent of rockers like Joplin and Melissa Etheridge, Bree's versatility allows her to capture the sultry alto tone of Fiona Apple, the ditzy blond soprano of Gwen Stefani or the screaming blues of Robert Plant. Bree's voice, stage presence and infectious personality make her a fan favorite whenever she performs.