Edgefest 22 Celebrates Chicago

The theme of this year’s Edgefest at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor is Chicago-Out Kind of Town. The festival starts on Wednesday, October 17 and ends on Saturday. There is also a Fringe at the Edge series of concerts that begin on Tuesday night with a free concert at Encore Records. A complete schedule can be found below.

The Chicago experimental avant-garde scene included artists in the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) founded in the 1960s including the path-breaking Art Ensemble of Chicago. The highlight of the festival will be a concert on Saturday night of new works for a large ensemble composed by saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Art Ensemble. Mitchell and drummer Famoudou Don Moye (right) were early members of the Art Ensemble. Mitchell will also perform on Wednesday night with his Detroit friends from the Creative Arts Collective including guitarist Spencer Barefield. Other well-known figures on the Chicago scene will perform throughout the festival, most notably the Harrison Bankhead Quartet on Thursday night, and the Artifacts Trio with flutist Nicole Mitchell on Friday night, and she returns in the company of pianist Myra Melford on Saturday afternoon.


Edgefest Schedule

Wednesday, October 17

6:00 Piotr Michalowski Ensemble
Abby Alwin, cello • David Hurley, drums • Mike Khoury, violin and viola • Ken Kozora, cornet • Piotr Michalowski, bass and C clarinets, sopranino and soprano saxophones • Joel Peterson, bass • Kenn Thomas, piano
7:00 Guillermo Gregorio Trio
Guillermo Gregorio, clarinet • Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello • Carrie Biolo, vibraphone/percussion
9:00 Roscoe Mitchell with Detroit Friends:
A Tribute to the Creative Arts Collective

Roscoe Mitchell and Spencer Barefield, co-founders
Roscoe Mitchell, saxophones • A. Spencer Barefield, guitar • Anthony Holland, saxophones • Skeeter Shelton, saxophones • Kenneth Green, piano • Jaribu Shahid, bass • Djalo Djakate, drums

Thursday, October 18

7:00 Kirsten Carey’s Uruboros Sextet
Kirsten Carey, guitar • Andrew Bishop and Molly Jones, saxophones • Ben Willis, bass • Jonathan Taylor, percussion
8:00 Lonberg-Holm/Reid/Young Trio
Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello • Tomeka Reid, cello • Kathryn Young, bassoon
9:00 Harrison Bankhead Quartet 
Harrison Bankhead, bass • Ed Wilkerson, tenor saxophones • Jim Baker, piano/electronics • Avreeayl Ra, drums

Friday, October 19

7:00 Adam Shead’s Tradition Talks
Matt Piet, piano • Tony Piazza, bass • Adam Shead, drums
8:00 Artifacts Trio
Nicole Mitchell, flute/electronics • Tomeka Reid, cello • Mike Reed, drums
9:00 Jason Stein’s Hearts and Minds
Jason Stein, bass clarinet • Paul Giallorenzo, piano/electronics • Chad Taylor, drums
10:00 Jaimie Branch Quartet
Jaimie Branch, trumpet • Lester St. Louis, cello • Anton Hatwich, bass • Chad Taylor, drums

Saturday, October 20

Noon Edgefest Parade and Picnic
2:00 Myra Melford, piano solo
3:00 Tim Haldeman Quartet
Tim Haldeman, saxophone • Tim Flood, bass • Will McEvoy, bass • David Hurley, drums
4:00 Tiger Trio
Myra Melford, piano • Nicole Mitchell, flute • Joëlle Léandre, bass
5:00 Rempis/Abrams/Ra + Baker
Dave Rempis, saxophone • Joshua Abrams, bass • Avreeayl Ra, drums • Jim Baker, piano/electronics
6:00 Joëlle Léandre, solo bass
8:00 Art Ensemble of Chicago 50th Anniversary Project: 
A Tribute to Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Malachi Favors and their lasting contributions to “Great Black Music-Ancient to the Future”

Roscoe Mitchell, saxophones/flute/percussion/etc. • Famoudou Don Moye, drums/percussion/etc. • Hugh Ragin, Trumpets • Fred Berry, Trumpet/Flugelhorn • Nicole Mitchell, Flutes • Christina Wheeler, Voice/Electronics • Jean Cook, Violin • Stephanie Griffin, Viola • Tomeka Reid, Cello • Silvia Bolognesi, Bass • Jaribu Shahid, Bass • Junius Paul, Bass • Enoch Williamson, African Percussion


Fringe at the Edge Events


Some events TBD; please go to kerrytownconcerthouse.com for updates.

Tuesday, October 16

  Hosted and sponsored by Encore Records, 417 East Liberty St.
8:00 Tomeka Reid, cello • Andrew Bishop and Peter Formanek, saxophones • Jon Taylor, drums