Renegade independent label turned collaborative artist community Ropeadope announces the return of their acclaimed Experiment series, beginning with a 2022 release of The Chicago Experiment. The Experiment series began in June 2001 with The Philadelphia Experiment - featuring ?uestlove, Christian McBride, and Uri Caine with special guest Pat Martino. Widely known as a hallmark in progressive Jazz, The Philadelphia Experiment set a standard for artist-controlled improvisation in the studio. The Detroit Experiment, produced by Aaron Luis Levinson and Carl Craig, followed soon after with a stellar cast including Amp Fiddler, Geri Allen, Karriem Riggins and many more. 2007 saw the release of The Harlem Experiment, once again produced by Levinson, which dug into a crossover blend of Latin Jazz and Funk with a diverse cast including Steven Bernstein, Carlos Alomar, Don Byron, Taj Mahal, Olu Dara, Queen Esther, and Steve Berrios.
At a time when communities are physically disconnected, and even history is being disrupted by a global pandemic and restricted travel, Ropeadope returns to the series to highlight the musical legacy of cities around the globe. The Chicago Experiment was born of collaborations organized by Greg Spero (Spirit Fingers) and his hometown friends Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, Joel Ross, Irvin Pierce, Jeff Parker, and Darryl Jones.
"As we resume and expand this series, It could not be more appropriate to begin with Chicago; as we recall Barack Obama’s historic speech in 2008 that began a new era in US politics and culture, we are inspired by the people of Chicago and their contribution to the world. As we move forward, wrestling with the ugliness that moment exposed in our culture, we seek to celebrate the inevitable destiny that this awareness has invoked - one of common human striving for beauty and peace" (Louis Marks, Ropeadope)
Greg Spero’s Take:
The musical fabric of Chicago dates back beyond our lifetimes. The original home of the electric blues, Chicago's voices has carried its deep soul into genre after genre, producing artists of every idiom from gospel to hip hop, minting unique characters and artists bending and molding genres in new and evolving ways. Today is no exception, as some of the 21st century's most innovative and groundbreaking artists herald from Chicago. Makaya McCraven has been featured in the worlds biggest popular music outlets, Marquis Hill won the Thelonious Monk competition, and Joel Ross is commonly considered the most exciting young player in jazz today. These are just a few, but they come from a tight-knit group of individuals with a lineage of collaboration, improvisation, and exploration within their musical community.
For the past 15 years, Greg Spero and Makaya McCraven have been collaborators and supporters of each other's musical development. Darryl Jones, of the generation above Spero and McCraven, was introduced to Spero over a decade ago when co-composing for the record of another Chicago bass veteran Frank Russell. Years ago, Marquis and Spero road-tripped to Canada in Fareed Haque's RV for two nights at the Trane Jazz Club. The Velvet Lounge with Fred Anderson, the New Apartment Lounge with Vaughn Freeman, and the Jazz Showcase with Joe Segal have all been mainstays for these members of Chicago's new musical generation.
Through of the deep history of collaboration and community shared by Chicago artists, a distinct sound has made its appearance on the world stage. This sound is organic; you can hear it in the recordings of Spero and McCraven with Corey Wilkes and Junius Paul in recordings made 12 years ago at Close Up 2 in the south loop. It is genuine, improvisatory, and transparently soulful in a way that can only come as a natural expression of genuine history. Out of all the cities in the world, Chicago proved to be the ideal breeding ground for the next iteration of the Ropeadope Experiment series, following up the legendary Philadelphia Experiment with its new baby brother 20 years later, entitled The Chicago Experiment.
For this record, Spero brought in his long-time Chicago collaborators into the studio for 4 days of improvisation and performance. Spero came to the table with some compositions, but in the true spirit of Chicago, the sessions were filled with improvisation. The all-star group walked away from the 4 days with a huge slate of raw creative material, which Spero then distilled town into succinct groovy improvised compositions. The result is a record that embodies the true Chicago sound, and serves as a great example of the improvisational magic woven into the cultural fabric of Chicago's music scene.
1. The Chant (feat. Joel Ross, Irvin Pierce, Darryl Jones, Marquis Hill, Jeff Parker) 04:26
2. Sizzle Reel (feat. Irvin Pierce, Jeff Parker) 03:26
3. Always Be (feat. Darryl Jones, Marquis Hill) 05:41
4. Cloud Jam (feat. Joel Ross, Marquis Hill) 03:20
5. Still Of Water (feat. Joel Ross, Irvin Pierce, Marquis Hill) 04:24
6. Double Take (feat. Joel Ross, Marquis Hill) 03:52
7. Maxwell Street (feat. Joel Ross, Irvin Pierce, Darryl Jones, Marquis Hill, Jeff Parker) 04:00
8. For Too (feat. Marquis Hill) 06:24
9. Rose Petal (feat. Darryl Jones) 03:57
10. Tiny Beat 01:34
11. Straight Shooter (feat. Darryl Jones, Jeff Parker) 03:53
Greg Spero (piano)
Makaya McCraven (drums)
Marquis Hill (trumpet)
Joel Ross (vibraphone)
Jeff Parker (guitar)
Darryl Jones (bass)
Irvin Pierce (tenor sax)
