KENNY REICHERT’S LIVE IN CHICAGO, OUT NOW, ON SHIFTING PARADIGM RECORDS
The acclaimed guitarist and composer captures the immediacy of performance with his first live album, recorded before an audience at Pro Musica in Chicago.
Guitarist and composer Kenny Reichert has earned praise as “a distinctive player and composer with wide-ranging idiomatic inklings” (DownBeat Magazine) and “a triple threat” (Textura). With Live in Chicago, out now, on Shifting Paradigm Records, Reichert strips away studio polish to present his quartet in its natural habitat—live, in the moment, and unfiltered.
Featuring Lenard Simpson (alto saxophone), Ethan Philion (bass), and Devin Drobka (drums), the album showcases five expansive originals that highlight the ensemble’s fearless interplay and sense of collective adventure.
Recorded in October 2024 at Pro Musica, Live in Chicago marks Reichert’s first live document as a bandleader. “I wanted to capture the way this ensemble actually plays together,” says Reichert. “Longer solos, freer interaction, and the kind of risks you only take in front of an audience. It’s not about perfection—it’s about honesty.”
Engineered by Ken Christianson, the recording amplifies that honesty, preserving both the nuance and volatility of the performance.
“Poppy Seed” opens the set with a rhythm changes contrafact whose angular, Monk-like melody pivots between playful swing and explosive freedom. After an opening bass–drum dialogue, Reichert’s guitar carves a more open, tonal path before Simpson unleashes a torrent of cascading lines that drive the band into uncharted territory.
“Streak of Blue” shifts to a more reflective mood, inspired by a spring afternoon in Athens, GA. Delicate textures give way to a gradual crescendo, with Simpson’s solo building to a dramatic peak before the piece returns to its hushed, lyrical opening.
On “Spheres,” Reichert blends chiming guitar arpeggios, arco bass, and textural saxophone sounds to create a circular, meditative form—favoring conversational interplay over soloistic display.
“Evening Camel,” composed in Calabria, Italy, evokes dusk over the Mediterranean. Built around a low guitar riff, its melody unfolds slowly before ascending to a haunting final cadence.
The closing track, “Eagle,” written during a residency at the Ragdale Foundation, pairs a soaring melody with a fluid form that lets the band weave in and out of harmony with ease—both expansive and grounded, it embodies the record’s balance between flight and foundation.
With Live in Chicago, Reichert adds a vital chapter to a growing discography that includes Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm, 2023), Switch (Calligram Records, 2024), and Fowl Play with Righteous Rooster (Shifting Paradigm, 2024). As All About Jazz noted, his music remains “masterly without being showy.” This new release captures a band unafraid to take chances while staying rooted in melodic clarity.