Pro Musica Musical Evenings

 
 
 

Musical Evenings is happy to have two of or favorite musicians playing in a wonderful Duet setting in our intimate space. This is sure to be a notable event... Ken Christianson, Pro Musica, Chicago

Doors Open at 7pm
Concert at 8pm

Patrick Noland: received classical piano instruction at St. Xavier University, Chicago, IL, under the direction of Sister Mary Vernardine Obertin. He studied the art of composition and improvisation at Naropa Institute, Boulder Colorado, under the tutelage of Ralph Towner and members of the group Oregon. His techniques were further developed with contributions from Art Lande and Charlie Haden, also at Naropa. Noland's synergy of classical structure and improvisational jazz was perfected during this and ongoing development. He has crafted his ethereal sound as a result of a degree in music and jazz improvisation. His music is melodic, enhanced with improvisations, with jazz grooves. While teaching in Chicago Public Schools as a music teacher,[masked], Patrick recorded his first of four cds, Gathering Light, 1994, with Ken Christianson and Julian Vereker for the Naim Label. Having retired from teaching, 2015, Patrick now pursues music full time spreading his message. He is currently recording a new project with Ken Christianson, Pro Musica, Chicago

John Tate: A first-call accompanist in Chicago, John Tate has played with any number of important artists including Matt Wilson, Marquis Hill, Ron Miles, Von and George Freeman, Ben Monder, Jeff Parker, John Chin, Sacha Perry, Bill Carrothers, Victor Goines, Caroline Davis and Billy Kaye. He also performs and records with experimental drummer-composer Charles Rumback, appearing on the 2015 duo album Daylight Savings and the 2017 trio efforts Threes and Tag Book.

As those musicians will attest, the downstate Illinois native has lived up to his primary aim of "making who I'm playing with sound better." He prizes bassist's Israel Crosby's playing in the legendary Ahmad Jamal Trio: "He never took the listener’s attention away from Ahmad’s solo and his solid rhythmic feel was infectious."

At the same time, carrying forth lessons learned at the Juilliard School from the great bassist and NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter, he strives to avoid predictable solutions. "When I first heard Ron on Miles Davis' classic album E.S.P., I didn't understand what he was doing," he says. "I had never heard a bass played like that, the unpredictability of his lines, the understated power, those moving harmonies and rhythms and the way he influenced the solos of his bandmates. After that, I wasn't interested in predictable approaches."
John studied with Earl Gately, a distinguished bassist/pedagogue and professor at Knox College in Galesburg, and Andy Crawford, another Knox professor who now co-heads the school's jazz program. As if he needed more convincing that jazz was his future, a visit to Galesburg by renowned drummer/bandleader Matt Wilson, a native of nearby Knoxville, clinched the deal with a memorable master class for the high school jazz program.