Jeru - Celebrating Gerry Mulligan's Birthday!

** This is a virtual, on-demand show, viewable 24-hours from start time **

Ticket holders will receive a link and password 1-hour prior to showtime to view the show on a private Vimeo channel.

We highly recommend listening to the show on speakers or wired headphones as wireless/bluetooth headphones may cause a delay because audio/video.

Joe Policastro - bass

Ted Hogarth - bari sax

Phil Gratteau - drums

Art Daviis - trumpet

Inspired by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of the 1950s, the band takes its name from a nickname used by Miles Davis for Gerry Mulligan. The group not only pays homage to Mulligan and other great writers/performers, Jeru adds new arrangements and compositions to further explore a somewhat under-utilized format, the chord-less or “pianoless” ensemble. Although many performers have explored groups without chordal accompaniment (Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane), few have made use of this outfit in an arranging fashion. Jeru models itself after ensembles led by Mulligan, George Russell, John Lewis, and Jimmy Giuffre where the writing and arranging is as much a part of the music as the improvisations. The music is presented in chamber-like fashion and relies solely on counterpoint and the relative "simplicity" of two and three note harmonies.

Based in Chicago, Jeru has been actively performing and recording since its inception in 2003. The core band consists of Art Davis on trumpet, Ted Hogarth on bari sax, and Joe Policastro on bass. A European version of the group that featured members of the WDR Big Band was active while bassist Joe Policastro was living in Germany. Jeru was featured at the 2004 Chicago Jazz Festival and has held numerous residencies at clubs throughout Chicagoland. Its eponymous debut, Jeru, was released in 2009.

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For more information, please visit:  http://www.joepolicastro.com/groups-jeru.htm