We are The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective has a no-nonsense name that tips off listeners to the powerful sounds this acclaimed ensemble brings to the ears. We’re a group of passionate, dedicated musicians working to unite Chicago Soul and Chicago Jazz into a fresh sound, a sound that is steeped in the glorious musical traditions of the windy city, while creating something modern, fresh and undeniable.
CSJC performs original music and writes moving-grooving compositions with meaningful lyrics that will lift you up and take you to the higher place you deserve to be!
Trumpet / Ryan Nyther
Tenor Sax / John Fournier
Keys / Amr Fahmy
Guitar / Larry Brown, Jr.
Bass / Micah Collier
Kit / Keith Brooks II
Coming Soon
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective returns with No Wind & No Rain, their fourth album and most fully realized artistic statement to date. A seven-piece ensemble led by saxophonist John Fournier and featuring the acclaimed vocalist Dee Alexander, CSJC has spent years seeking that elusive sweet spot where Chicago soul and jazz converge with blues, gospel, and folk to create a sound that echoes throughout the history and the present moment of the Windy City. Under the expert production of guitarist Larry Brown Jr., they’ve crafted a record that is as sophisticated as it is gritty, as gripping as it is grooving—just like the city they call home.Upcoming Shows
On The Way To Be Free
by Chicago Soul Jazz Collective with Dee Alexander
- AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE - Chicago Soul Jazz Collective Presents their Third Album.
It Takes A Spark To Start A Fire
by Chicago Soul Jazz Collective
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective Presents their Second Album.
SouloPhone
by Chicago Soul Jazz Collective
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective Presents their Debut Album.
Press
“Soul jazz: The title alone suggests a magical but somehow elusive genre. Is it heard in Herbie Hancock’s funky piano on songs like “Watermelon Man,” the ragged guitar and free-form vocals of James “Blood” Ulmer or the saxophone grooves on Cannonball Adderley’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”? Although it can’t be strictly defined in words, when you hear the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective’s blend of New Orleans horns, funky rhythms and gospel-tinged, shout-it-out vocals, your ears give you the answer. ”
“With On the Way to Be Free, the CSJC takes another giant step, showcasing the irresistible force named Dee Alexander on a program of evocative, top-notch compositions – an album that slots them firmly in the here and now without losing sight of their stylistic ancestry.”
“Everything about this album feels like the best that Jazz in the 70’s had to offer, with the texture and feel of Freddie Hubbard’s, Joe Henderson’s or Gil Scott-Heron’s early to mid-70’s output. And much like on their last album, this all-original program holds its own with nearly anything coming out of New York, Los Angeles or London at this point...”
“They [CSJC] build a vibrant bridge between the classic era of soul jazz and a fresh approach that keeps this music so timeless. ”
“A wild and wooly set that sneaks some message into the sound, doing so without hitting you in the head with it, this is damn smart music for the times. Hard hitting stuff that really delivers the goods.”
“Luscious, pin-drop music. Every word, consonant, and vowel, lovingly, fully endowed. A casual, slip-and-slide coming together, spontaneous combustion before the big bang. Big bang, big band crackle-popping in a sync-groove, slightly off-set toward the sweetly harmonic dissonance of something this way comes…jazz at its most populace-pleasing…”
“…its melodic power and stylish group dynamics are what make the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective a prime portal for listeners who don’t limit their music by category but are driven simply by the groove.”