With a tone that “sets its compass outward, but remains firmly rooted within the post-hard bop-blues praxis,” alto saxophonist and composer Nick Mazzarella’s work has been described as “continuing the approach taken by like-minded trailblazing altoists Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Henry Threadgill, Oliver Lake, and Gary Bartz [by] seeking to embody the history of [jazz] music while pushing it forward into new realms.” (All About Jazz) He has been a consistent presence in Chicago's underground music scene since the early 2000s, and has made an aesthetically unique contribution to the city’s rich culture of jazz and improvised music as both a performer and a presenter.   RSVP DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY