by Andrea Canter

Chris Thomson © Andrea Canter

Thomson describes the ensemble as “a modern jazz quartet playing music as influenced by the sounds of new music of any style and genre as it is by the great jazz heritage of the past.  All four musicians have a unique and inspired approach to playing songs as well as improvising.” For this performance, Bells and Whistles features a Midwest collaboration of Thomson on saxes, Bryan Nichols on piano, and Chicago-based musicians Kurt Schweitz on bass and Andre Beasley on drums.

Chris Thomson studied classical and jazz music, and began composing and leading his own bands during the short-lived run of the Brilliant Corners club in St. Paul. Turning to more adventurous use of electronics a few years ago when a bike accident temporarily restricted his ability to use his saxophone, Thomson began investigating “new sonic territory” via his laptop, and has been more seriously “delving into the infinitely deep and ever-changing world of computer music, finding new influences in the various styles of electronic music that friends have been exposing me to.” Recently Chris has been recording and/or performing with many of the Twin Cities most creative artists, including J.T. and Chris Bates, Anthony Cox, Dean Magraw, the Chris Morrissey Quartet, Dave King, Spaghetti Western String Co., Dosh, Jay Epstein, Bryan Nichols, Tanner Taylor, Michael Lewis, Adam Linz, Alden Ikeda, Tim Glenn, Greg Schutte, Adam Levy, Kelly Rossum, Yawo Attivor, and many others. His music can be heard regularly Cafe Maude, the Kitty Cat Klub, and as curator of the iQuit Music Series at the Rogue Buddha Gallery in NE Minneapolis. In addition to Bells and Whistles, he performs with the Enormous Quartet, Shovel and the Jazz Is Now! Nownet, and in a solo laptop and AV show.

In summer 2007, Chris Thomson released his solo recording, The Three Elements, which he describes as “a combination of acoustic instruments and either electronically produced or manipulated sounds using various software sequencers and instruments. It is not techno. It is not jazz. The best way to describe it is minimal acoustic/electronic music--meaning if you are looking for blind virtuosity on display you best look elsewhere; the album strives to offer someone without expectations something unique to listen to.”

Bryan Nichols returned to his native Minnesota after studies at Iowa State University and gigging in Chicago. A member of the 2004 edition of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead (“Jazz Stars of Tomorrow”), he performed at Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He’s played with Ari Brown, Maurice Brown, Von Freeman, and more, and is currently on the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music. He performs and records with the Kelly Rossum Quartet. Kurt Schweitz and Andre Beasley are known as innovative performers on the Chicago jazz scene. They have performed with the Drexel Project, guitarist Gary Tu and more; Beasley has also performed with acclaimed Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom.

Jazz Thursdays is curated by MacPhail’s Coordinator for Jazz Studies, Kelly Rossum. The November 6^th concert (at 8 pm) is part of the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s Jazz From J to Z season. Tickets (at the door) are $10 ($7 TCJS members, $5 students). The MacPhail Center for Music is located at 501 South Second Street in the arts district just north of downtown Minneapolis. On-street parking and nearby ramps. For more on Chris Thomson, visit his My Space page at www.myspace.com/cteaser. More on the TCJS Jazz From J to Z season at www.tcjs.org.