Chicago jazz guitarist Tim Stine drops an engagingly off-kilter new trio albumJ.R. Nelsonon May 26, 2020 at 9:05 pm

In 2017, Reader critic Peter Margasak described the trio of local guitarist and bandleader Tim Stine, bassist Anton Hatwich, and drummer Frank Rosaly as bringing “deliciously teetering and coolly swinging energy to Stine’s improvisations, which recall the early work of Joe Morris and the splintery spontaneity of Derek Bailey.” On Friday, May 15, Texas jazzAstral Spirits dropped the trio’s dynamic second album, Fresh Demons, which captures the group in fine fettle–Gossip Wolf is especially fond of the swirling “686868,” which precisely balances Stine’s jigsaw-puzzle riffing, Hatwich’s long, flowing lines, and Rosaly’s snapping cymbal work. Cassettes and digital downloads are available at the trio’s Bandcamp page.

It feels like just yesterday that Gossip Wolf was getting psyched to see Jersey punk lifer Mikey Erg at Crown Liquors in February, and now the beloved Avondale slashie is no more–last month the pandemic forced the owners to permanently close. Chicago hot-sauce company Soothsayer has partnered with local bookers MP Shows on Shot Dice: A Compilation for Crown Liquors, a pay-what-you-want Bandcamp release whose proceeds benefit former Crown Liquors staff. Garage veterans White Mystery, emo darlings Retirement Party, and party punks the Brokedowns are among the 26 contributors; this wolf digs Flake Michigan’s sweet ditty honoring MP staffer Vito Nusret.

New Yorker critic Alex Ross gave props to Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio for its Quarantine Concerts series in his recent essay “Concerts in the Void.” If you haven’t yet checked out these terrific livestreams, this wolf highly recommends starting with the program on Thursday, May 28, titled “Keep Your Mind Free”: the lineup consists of Black Monument Ensemble bandleader Damon Locks, cellist Tomeka Reid, flutist Nicole Mitchell, and guitarist Jeff Parker. The show runs from 8 till 10 PM, and ESS suggests a $5 donation. v

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