This is a weekly overview live avant performances in the Chicago area. Contact us if you’d like your shows listed.

Saturday, December 2nd 2017

7:30PM at Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport, 312.526.3851 ($25-$19)
Makaya McCraven with Nick Mazzarella, Ben LaMar Gay, Junius Paul
Irreversible Entanglements : Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother, Keir Neuringer, Aquiles Navarro, Luke Stewart, Tcheser Holmes
Dos Santos

8:00PM at the Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S Stony Island, 312.857.5561 (Free, RSVP)
Steven Warwick

Sunday, December 3rd 2017

5:00PM at the Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S Stony Island, 312.857.5561 (Free)
Annual Kwanzaa Concert
AACM Great Black Music Ensemble

9:00PM at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W Belmont ($10 suggested donation) (wheelchair-accessible)
Battle Trance : Travis Laplante, Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson, Jeremy Viner

Monday, December 4th 2017

9:00PM at Beat Kitchen, 2100 W Belmont, 773.281.4444 (wheelchair-accessible)
Extraordinary Popular Delusions : Jim Baker, Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom, Steve Hunt

Thursday, December 7th 2017

9:00PM at Elastic, 3429 W Diversey, #208, 773.772.3616 ($20)
Larry Ochs, Nels Cline, Gerald Cleaver

Friday, December 8th 2017

8:30PM at Constellation, 3111 N Western ($10)
Charles Rumback, Jim Baker, John Tate — CD release

Saturday, December 9th 2017

8:30PM at Constellation, 3111 N Western ($10)
Trio WAZ : Ed Wilkerson, Tatsu Aoki, Michael Zerang — Record release

For more information, such as directions, as well as upcoming performances, see:

http://now-is.org/, http://www.ratchetmusic.com, http://www.mcachicago.org, http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_culturalcenterschedule.html, http://www.skylarkchicago.com, http://www.hideoutchicago.com, http://www.elasticrevolution.com, http://www.myopicbookstore.com/music.html, http://www.lampo.org, http://dalniente.com, http://iceorg.org/events/category/chicago, http://www.emptybottle.com/

Source: London’s Vortex Jazz Club.

SAT 02 DECEMBER 2017
MARSHALL ALLEN’S DOUBLE SPIRAL INFINITY QUARTET (LATE NIGHT)
LATE NIGHT SPECIAL Last night. For the third night there will be just a single set. Unreserved seating. The Double Spiral Infinity Quartet: Marshall Allen – alto saxophone, casio vl-tone,…

SUN 03 DECEMBER 2017
PLANKTRONIC FINALES – STEPHAN CRUMP, INGRID LAUBROCK, CORY SMYTHE
Stephan Crump (bass), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) and Cory Smythe (piano) – this trio consists of three innovative improvisers and jazz musicians of the younger Brooklyn scene. An intense and extremely…

WED 06 DECEMBER 2017
PENNY RIMBAUD – WHAT PASSING BELLS…
The War Poems of Wilfred Owen read by Penny Rimbaud with Liam Noble on piano and Kate Shortt on cello, incorporating visuals by Gee Vaucher. ‘The poetry is in…

THU 07 DECEMBER 2017
RAYMOND MACDONALD / ALEXANDER HAWKINS
Raymond MacDonald has a powerful personality, intellect and imagination that he focusses into his playing on alto saxophone. He is matched in all ways by pianist Alexander Hawkins So expect…

MON 11 DECEMBER 2017
WARRIORS INTERNATIONAL PRESENT: FREEDOM THE ART OF IMPROVISATION LOFT JAM SESSION
The monthly open-minded Freedom Improv session. There’s an opening short set from an adhoc ensemble, swiftly followed by constantly shifting sets of soul stirring improv sessions open to all… So tune…

TUE 12 DECEMBER 2017
HYPER+ (FT. ALEXANDER HAWKINS, FRANCOIS HOULE) (CAN/UK/ITALY) + OMUN (FRANCE/BELGIUM)
French-Italian double bill with a smattering of Hawkins and Houle. European adventurousness! OMUN from France is Philippe Lemoine saxophone Pascal Charrier guitar, composition Julien Tamisier keyboards, electronics, composition Teun Verbruggen…

Source: Trinosophes.

Saturday, Dec. 2: NOW! (Alex Harding, Vincent Chandler, Leonard King, Rocco Popielarski)
The return of heavyweight baritone saxophonist Alex Harding to his hometown of Detroit has been a great boost for creative music in the city. Harding’s newest group, Now!, features veteran Detroit jazz greats Vincent Chandler on Trombone and Leonard King on drums. The quartet is rounded out by up-and-coming bassist Rocco Popielarski.

Wednesday, Dec.6: Nels Cline/Gerald Cleaver/Larry Oches Trio.
This incredible trio was created by Detroit native and internationally acclaimed percussionist Gerald Cleaver, in collaboration with Larry Ochs, founder of the legendary Rova Saxophone Quartet. With the addition of experimental guitar icon Nels Cline (who belatedly became a pop-guitar icon by joining Wilco), the trio’s lineup was completed in 2015.

12/8: Shells record release show with Bonny Doon, Kathy Leisen (solo)

12/9: James Cornish/Joel Peterson/Abby Alwin,/Sara Grosky Quartet, Betsy Soukup/Ben Willis Duo

12/13: Bitchin’ Bahas

12/21: Matsunoto/Behnke Duo

12/23: Polyfold

Source: ISSUE Project Room.

BYRON WESTBROOK: INTERVAL/FORUM
Sat 02 Dec, 2017, 8pm, Irondale Arts Center
December 2nd, Byron Westbrook premieres Interval/Forum. The work completes a series of conceptual environments that collaborate with audience perception and participation, making use of the theatrical setting of Irondale Arts Center to focus the perception of audience presence as a dynamic performance element.

ANTENES: ARTIFACTS
Sat 09 Dec, 2017, 8pm, 22 Boerum Place, Brooklyn
Antenes’ ISSUE residency culminates in the presentation of a time-based “audio museum” reflecting her visits to the NOKIA Bell Labs Archives — a research process that has run parallel to her practice of appropriating antique or otherwise obsolete objects in ways that reference and extend their original functionality.

KABIR CARTER: FEELINGS ARE ROOMS II
Tues, Dec 12th & Wed, Dec 13th Installation Hours 4pm – 8pm by Appointment Only
Thurs, Dec 14th Installation Hours 4pm – 10pm / Closing Reception – 8pm
The second presentation of Feelings Are Rooms features a continued investigation of the unique architectural acoustics of ISSUE’s theater space. Kabir Carter draws upon his recent research on spatial acoustics in anechoic rooms and underwater acoustics to produce a temporary sound installation.

ISSUE / BOMB MAGAZINE YEAR-END PARTY: TYONDAI BRAXTON / LIKE A VILLAIN
Sat 16 Dec, 2017, 8pm, 22 Boerum Place, Brooklyn
ISSUE commemorates the close of the 2017 season with a special year-end event with acclaimed composer and electronic musician Tyondai Braxton and extended technique vocalist, composer, and performer Like A Villain (Holland Andrews), co-presented with BOMB Magazine.