THE STIR ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO featuring Dan Godston trumpet & Joel Wanek bass with special guest
Jim Ryan winds. Others TBA.
Dan Godston teaches, writes, and composes music and plays the trumpet and other instruments in Chicago. Last year his trio -- Ways & Means -- released their debut CD, entitled “Fire of Dream”; this recording features a collaboration with the amazing poet Ed Roberson. From 2005 till 2006 The Ways & Means Trio hosted a monthly series at Muse Café called Lower & Upper Limits, which showcased collaborations between poets and musicians. Dan has worked with
Jim Ryan, Daniele Cavallanti, Tiziano Tononi, Joel Wanek, Jayve Montgomery, Eric Glick Rieman, Jerome Bryerton, Alex Wing, Mankwe Ndosi, Douglas Ewart, Paul Hartsaw, Mars Williams, Ben Boye, and other musicians.
Godston teaches poetry through The Center for Community Arts Partnerships and Snow City Arts, and he also teaches at Columbia College Chicago. His writings have appeared in Chase Park, Versal, 580 Split, Kyoto Journal, California Quarterly, after hours, Teaching Artist Journal and other publications. His poem “Mask to Skin to Blood to Heart to Bone and Back” was nominated by the editors of 580 Split for the Pushcart Prize. In February 2007 he curated the Forth Sound Back event, in the Red Rover Series.
Last year Godston founded the Chicago Calling Festival, which provides opportunities for Chicago based artists to collaborate with artists living in other locations around the world.
Recently, Joel Wanek's creative focus has been directed towards music. For the past three years, he has studied upright bass and improvisation. Since then, he has had the fortune of playing with some of Chicago’s finest improvisers including Aoki, Nicole Mitchell, David Boykin, Josh Abrams, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Dave Rempis and Greg Ward. Currently he is a member of Aoki's Miyumi Project Big Band, Boykin’s Microcosmic Sound Orchestra and Ways & Means Trio. In addition to performing, Wanek is also an active music presenter. A year rafter the passing of legendary bassist Malachi Favors Maghoustut, he organized a gathering of Chicago creative bassists to pay respects to him and his spirit. That initial event has grown into The Low End Theory, a musical series highlighting the city’s many innovative bassists.
Joel Wanek is also a photographer and educator living and working in Chicago. He teaches photography at many of the city's premier arts organizations including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Center for Community Arts Partnerships, Marwen Foundation and the Hyde Park Arts Center.
Jim Ryan is well-known to Bay Area free jazz audiences through his group Forward Energy which has worked in the area for the past ten years.
Cost: $5-15 Sliding Scale
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