Chicago acoustic jazz/funk band Chris Greene Quartet to Release New Live CD: “A Group Effort.”

Whenever the Chris Greene Quartet takes the stage, jazz and rock listeners notice something immediately: they’re sitting next to each other, and that doesn’t happen all that often on today’s scene. As jazz strives to find new audiences, the CGQ is already admired for its ability to “cross over” and reach music-lovers raised on pop – but without “selling out” the formative principles of the jazz tradition.

With several CDs and a DVD to their credit, the quartet now stands poised at the next plateau of critical and popular success. A Group Effort, their new “live” album, will surely further their reputation as band on the run, gathering converts from across the stylistic spectrum as they go.

The CGQ will celebrate the release of the new disc with an 8 PM show on May 24 at Mayne Stage in Chicago (1328 W. Morse). This set marks a return to where it all started: A Group Effort was recorded in front of an enthusiastic audience at Mayne Stage last October.

Veteran jazz critic Neil Tesser writes in the liner notes to A Group Effort, “. . . saxophonist Chris Greene and his simpatico teammates demonstrate their spirited approach to the jazz conundrum: How to keep the music fresh and new, without resorting to foolishness that dilutes the idiom’s power and promise? For Greene, the answer lies in using familiar materials – the funk and hip-hop he heard growing up – as a bridge to younger listeners looking for more.” Read the rest of this entry →