According to the map app on my phone, Chicago is five hours away by car, a scant six by Amtrak. To anyone who has ever wasted an hour creeping along I-480, this is the equivalent to a pleasant Sunday drive. So why do so few members of the Windy City’s stupefyingly abundant music scene make the trip?
It’s a fair question, but don’t think about it for too long. Better to luxuriate in the opportunity to hear four of Chicago’s best when New Ghosts presents bassist Jason Roebke’s quartet at BOP STOP Sunday.
Because my interview with this week’s feature artist fell through, I decided to improvise and do something different. Instead of stuffing the Trading Fours roundup of capsule event previews at the end of a 700-word feature article, today they’re the main event. Short and sweet. I’m going to open the comments for this post so you can tell me if you like it or think this should be a one-and-done.
Dan Bruce :beta collective with Alyssa Boyd, Cain Park, Tuesday, July 25
In the language of software developers, a beta project is one that is in development. That’s a pretty good description of the jazz playbook, too, especially as practiced by Lakewood guitarist Dan Bruce. His :beta collective balances a mutable blend of electric and acoustic instruments, composition and improvisation, jazz and prog rock influences. For the latest iteration of his tinkerer’s project in sound, Bruce has added a new wrinkle: the voice of Alyssa Boyd. That makes for an intriguing proposition for us musical beta testers, and as part of the free concert series supported by the Local 4 Music Fund, you can’t beat the price.
