There came a point in the progression of twentieth century Jazz music when it began to intersect with the music of the minimalist contemporary compositions of people like Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Cage. But Jazz and Jazz musicians being what they are, it wasn't ever going to be anything more than a visit to absorb items of interest that could be incorporated into their means of expression. Jazz can never be as devoid of sound as the minimalists or as structured; it is all about textures and flow after all. So although you will never hear Jazz pieces that sound like a John Cage composition, the scraping of form and structure that he and the others experimented with most definitely made their presence felt in the Jazz world.
While the contemporary composers were doing their thing in New York City, it seems only fitting that the New Jazz was finding its home in Chicago, the long time home to African American music and culture in the northern part of the United States. In the days of racial segregation in the United States, the state of Illinois marked the "The Colour Line." Once you were in Illinois, and all points north, segregation was at least technically no longer legal. Chicago was the first major metropolitan area with jobs for those who were willing to do them. The stockyards didn't care what you looked like as long as you had a strong stomach and didn't mind the smell. Blues and Jazz musicians from the South looking for music work began migrating to Chicago as early as the thirties when speakeasies were always in need of bands, but it was the 1950's when things really began to hop for the Blues and Jazz. The performers composing and playing throughout Chicago in the 1950's and 60's would read like a Who's Who of the Jazz aristocracy. Charles Mingus, Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, and a young John Coltrane to name a few: the list would run longer than this review if I let it.
As the 1960's wound down and attitudes were being liberated in music everywhere, jazz was no exception. The Chicago Art Ensemble is probably the most famous name to come out of that time that's still out there playing, but other groupings have appeared to make their mark as well. One that's still going strong is Rob Mazurek's Chicago Underground.
Sometimes a quartet, sometime a solo project, in his latest incarnation Rob has teamed up with long time percussionist and drum partner Chad Taylor, and South American born, Chicago based double bassist Jason Ajemian. Ironically enough, Rob himself now lives in San Paulo, Brazil. Delmark Records has released Chicago Underground Trio's latest collaboration Chronicle as both a DVD and a CD.
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