Constellation is a performing arts nightclub in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, "with an emphasis on forward-thinking practices particularly in the areas of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, improvised, experimental, and
contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...
."
Constellation was founded in 2013 by
Mike Reed, a Chicago-based drummer and composer. Reed was originally Constellation's for-profit (nominally) owner and then, from 2018 through at least 2021, its
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
president.
Constellation has replaced, and expanded upon, the now-closed
Velvet Lounge
The Velvet Lounge was a nightclub in the South Loop of Chicago. It started as a jazz club and was called the "dusty epicenter of the Midwest's free form jazz scene." It was located at 2128 1/2 S. Indiana Avenue before moving to 67 E. Cermak when t ...
as a hub of avant garde jazz and improvised music in Chicago. Musicians who have played at Constellation include
Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and a 17-time Grammy nominée. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than ...
,
Bobby Broom
Robert Broom Jr. (born January 18, 1961) is an American jazz guitarist, composer, and educator. He was born and raised in New York City, then moved to Chicago, which has been his home town since 1984. He performs and records with The Bobby Broom ...
,
Ari Brown
Ari Brown (born February 1, 1944) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and pianist.
Biography
Brown grew up in Chicago and attended Wilson College, where he met musicians such as Jack DeJohnette, Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, and Joseph Ja ...
,
Josh Berman,
[Ben Ratliff]
"Merging Textures Across the Decades"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', August 17, 2012. and many others.
See also
*
List of jazz clubs
This is a list of notable Music venue, venues where jazz music is played. It includes jazz clubs, Nightclub, clubs, dancehalls and historic venues such as theatres. A jazz club is a Music venue, venue where the primary entertainment is the perfor ...
References
External links
*
Music venues completed in 2013
Jazz clubs in Chicago
2013 establishments in Illinois
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