Trillium is thrilled to present a homecoming concert of sorts for reed player Keefe Jackson, who was a classmate since elementary school with founder Katy Henriksen. His improv trio, the Chicago-based Jackson/Heinemann/Shead Trio will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, inside Millar Lodge on Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville. RSVP your spot here.
The Jackson/Heinemann/Shead trio performs original compositions by its members as well as compositions by Free Jazz giants such as John Tchicai, Ornette Coleman, Dewey Redman, and Henry Threadgill. Specializing in the composition and improvisation processes of the late 1960's through present day jazz and improvised music scene the trio of Keefe Jackson, Jakob Heinemann, and Adam Shead provide a fresh reimagining of a variety of sonic narratives through the tight knit chemistry the group has developed since its inception in 2019.
Keefe Jackson, a Fayetteville native, has been described as having"an impressive grasp of the tenor's textural capabilities, he exploits this knowledge to vary his attack; one minute ripe or overblown, guttural or throaty, then poppy or wailful." by Michael Jackson of Downbeat Magazine. Peter Margasek of the Chicago Reader states Jackson's "marbled tone expresses a lovely lyricism no matter how brusque or serrated his lines get." Since the start of Jackson's storied career he has developed a consistent and prolific performance, recording, and compositional practice.
Though considerably younger than their woodwind counterpart, Jakob Heinemann and Adam Shead have become formidable members of the Chicago improvised music community. Stef Gijsells of Free Jazz Blog writes, "the creative techniques of Chicagoan Adam Shead are a new force to be reckoned with", while Peter Margasek of the Quietus writes, “Shead stands out with a frenetic sensibility that injects fractured patter informed by European free improv within the lurching grooves.”“Shead stands out with a frenetic sensibility that injects fractured patter informed by European free improv within the lurching grooves.". Jakob Heinemann is an Ashkenaz bass player and composer from Madison, Wisconsin. Now living in Chicago, his work is wide-ranging, but consistently centers around both intuitive and analytical investigations into sound and the many layers lying therein. As a composer, Jakob currently works with field recordings and spectral analysis to map the pitch content of natural systems onto instruments with augmented tunings.