Busy times. Gigs, recordings, rehearsals, not to mention the time here at the keyboard on the tour front. It's always all about practicing though. Pushing everyday to find new things. That's the special work.

The new Locksmtih Isidore record is mixed and will be mastered very soon. The record is set for release later this year on the great Polish label Not Two. This new record is a definite change of pace for the band and for the the music the band is working with. With this record I took a different approach with both the writing and the improvising, choosing to explore a more "jazz oriented" music for the trio. It's mostly swinging with more composed material than on my other records. I have spent a lot of time playing straight ahead gigs in and out of Chicago and I've been sensitive about how I want to use the jazz tradition in my own music and groups. With this record I'm really putting it out there. Really intermingling the bop and free tradition. In general, my thing is all about developing a kind of fluidity and flexibility in the music. To have the whole tradition in my horn and to bring it out in an original way. I'm super excited for folks to hear the new record.

My world of playing requires a lot of flexibility. In a given week I'm playing a wide range of types and styles of music and I do my best to approach every gig with an open mind and open ears. I play with a lot of the experimental electronic musicians in town, as well as with the many amazing jazz and free jazz players in Chicago. I'm working more and more this way in Europe, as well. Last month on a Tuesday night in Switzerland I was playing standards as a special guest with a piano trio and the next night I was on a lowercase sound art gig with Lost Lucy (Fred Longberg-Holm, Isa Wiss, and Marc Unternahrer) in Luzern. The bass clarinet is so full of sounds and colors, This is enough to keep me busy for many lifetimes.

To hear two tracks from the upcoming Locksmith Isiodre record, check out Crayons for Sammy and Cash, Couch, and Camper on my listen page.

Back in Europe! I'll be over from February 26-March 11. It's been a pretty crazy past few weeks with a lot of travel and a home relocation! When I woke up this morning in Luzern it took me about 30 seconds to remember where I was. During the next two weeks I'll be playing in Switzerland, Italy, and The Netherlands and am very excited to play with some of my farvorite musicians! The tour begins with three concerts in Switzerland by Lost Lucy, a new quartet formed by Swiss vocalist Isa Wiss with tubist Marc Unternahrar, and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. I'll then continue on to Italy to play some concerts with the great saxophonist from Bologna, Dario Fariello, as well as to play a solo set in Lugo. I then head to The Netherlands where I'll be playing a few concerts including a trio with Eric Boeren and Michael Moore, as well as a solo set at the Jazzpodium Festival in Utrecht. Dates and details are below.

FEBRUARY 26-28 LOST LUCY MINI TOUR
w/ Isa Wiss, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Marc Unternahrer
Friday, February 26. Basel, Switzerland. Safe.
Saturday, February 27. Bern, Switzerland. Jazzwerkstatt Bern.
Sunday, February 28. Luzern, Switzerland. Mulbau

JASON STEIN SOLO EUROPEAN TOUR
Monday, March 1st JAZZCAFE featuring JASON STEIN
@ Jazzclub Gambrinus
w/ Götz Arens, Marc Jenny, Carlo Lorenzi
St. Gallen, Switzerland
8:30pm

Wednesday, March 3rd BOLOGNA IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA + JASON STEIN
@ XM24
Bologna, Italy

Thursday, March 4th FARIELLO/SCARDINO/STEIN
@ Bartleby
w/ Dario Fariello, Beppe Scardino
Bologna, Italy

Friday, March 5th JASON STEIN SOLO
@ CCA Lughè
Lugo, Italy

Saturday, March 6th FARIELLO/STEIN DUO
@ FARM
w/ Dario Fariello
Bologna, Italy

Tuesday, March 9th BOEREN/MOORE/STEIN TRIO
@ Zaal 100
w/ Eric Boeren, Michael Moore
Amsterdam, Holland

Wednesday, March 10 GOMES/JESSEN/STEIN TRIO
@ OORSPRONG
w/ Ze' Gomes, Dana Jessen
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Thursday, March 11th JASON STEIN SOLO
@ SJU Jazzpodium Festival
Utrecht, The Netherlands

Thursday, March 11th RED TRIO + JASON STEIN
w/ Rodrigo Pinheiro, Hernani Faustino, Gabriel Ferrandini
@ SJU Jazzpodium Festival
Utrecht, The Netherlands

It's been a busy past few months with some exciting gigs coming up in February...

Locksmith Isidore recently finished our second European tour. We had the opportunity to play throughout Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. For a very nice review of our gig in Ulrichsburg, Austria click here. And for a video of part of our performance in Maribor, Slovenia click here.

I recently found out that I and a few other Chicago musicians were included in the El Intruso 2009 Critics Poll. Click here to see the poll.

I've got some exciting gigs coming up throughout the rest of February with some newer and older projects. I will be heading back to Europe for a few weeks at the end of February for a short tour with a new quartet formed by Swiss vocalist Isa Wiss (along with Fred Lonberg-Holm and Marc Unternahrer) and then a solo tour in Italy and The Netherlands, ending at the SJU Jazzpodium Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands on March 11. For a full listing of these tour dates click here. I will also be playing a weekend at Cliff Bells in Detroit with my old friend and incredible bassist Josef Deas and Chicago drummer Sharif Zaben. Details for all February concerts are below. Hope to see you!

Wednesday, February 10th MY SILENCE + MATT SCHNEIDER SOLO
@ The Hideout
w/ Mike Reed, Nick Butcher
1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago IL
10pm

Thursday, February 11th @ Elastic
w/ Devin Hoff, Dave Rempis, John Herndon
+
Devin Hoff Solo Bass
2830 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago IL
10pm

Saturday, February 13th GIALLORENZO/STEIN DUO
@ Heaven Gallery
w/ Paul Giallorenzo
1550 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago IL
10pm

Friday, February 19th JASON STEIN TRIO
@ Cliff Bells
w/ Josef Deas, Sharif Zaben
2030 Park Ave. Detroit MI
9:30pm

Saturday, February 20th JASON STEIN TRIO
@ Cliff Bells
w/ Josef Deas, Sharif Zaben
2030 Park Ave. Detroit MI
9:30pm

Monday, February 22nd @ The Skylark
w/ Matt Schneider, Jason Roebke, Sharif Zaben
2349 S. Halsted St. Chicago IL
10pm

Wednesday, February 24th APIARY
@ The Empty Bottle
w/ Joseph Clayton Mills, David Daniell, Steve Hess
1035 N. Western Ave. Chicago
9pm

February 26-28 LOST LUCY MINI TOUR
w/ Isa Wiss, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Marc Unternahrer
Friday, February 26. Basel, Switzerland. Safe.
Saturday, February 27. Bern, Switzerland. Jazzwerkstatt Bern.
Sunday, February 28. Luzern, Switzerland. Mulbau

March 1-11. STEIN SOLO TOUR. Italy, The Netherlands. Click here for full tour schedule.

ANNOUNCING THE WINTER 2010 LOCKSMITH ISIDORE EUROPEAN TOUR!
RECORD RELEASE TOUR FOR THREE LESS THAN BETWEEN (CLEAN FEED RECORDS)

Tuesday, January 12th. Zurich, Switzerland. WIM Zurich. (w/ Christian Weber, Marc Unternahrer, Isa Wiss)
Wednesday, January 13th. Luzern, Switzerland. Mulbau (w/ Marc Unternahrer, Isa Wiss)
Friday, January 15th. Weikersheim, Germany. W71
Saturday, January 16th. Ulrichsberg, Austria. Jazzatelier Ulrichsberg
Sunday, January 17th. Hofheim, Germany. Jazzkeller.
Monday, January 18th. Vienna, Austria. Martinschloessl.
Tuesday, January 19th. Linz, Austria. KAPU
Wednesday, January 20th. Maribor, Slovenia.
Friday, January 22nd. Berlin, Germany. Aufsturz. (w/ Rudi Mahall)

TWO NEW RELEASES OUT NOW!! (click image for purchasing info)
  
                                   

JASON STEIN SOLO
IN EXCHANGE FOR A PROCESS (Leo Records)

"(In Exchange for a Process) is a laboratory of an album, experimenting with extended technique, sound and structure...Stein brings new ideas and sounds to his chosen instrument."  -Mark Corroto (All About Jazz)

"Here comes a CD of bass clarinet solos that threw me down.What a soloist! Marvelous work...a captivating record that left me in awe."         -François Couture




JASON STEIN'S LOCKSMITH ISIDORE
THREE LESS THAN BETWEEN (Clean Feed Records)

"Three Less Than Between is an outstanding exercise in free improvisation. Little sounds planned in advance; melodies are few and far between. But there is a road map to link the 11 tracks, which rise and crest and ebb like waves of sound." -Steve Greenlee (Boston Globe)




       

JASON STEIN SOLO TOUR!

RECORD RELEASE TOUR
FOR IN EXCHANGE FOR A PROCESS (LEO RECORDS)

Thursday, October 22nd. Cliff Bells. Detroit MI
Friday, October 23rd. Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery. Pittsburgh PA
Saturday, October 24th. Red Room. Baltimore MD
Sunday, October 25th. Moonstone Arts Center. Philadelphia PA
Tuesday, October 27th. Douglass Street Collective. Brooklyn NY (solo set + trio with Oscar Noriega, Josh Sinton)
Wednesday, October 28th. Freestyle Music Series at Local 269. New York, NY. (w/ Kirk Knuffke, Mike Pride)
Sunday, November 1st. Ghostprint Gallery. Richmond VA.
Monday, November 2nd. Morris Book Shop. Lexington KY.

Crazy week of Locksmith Isidore work. Following three straight days of rehearsals and performances Roebke, Pride, and I recorded 7 of my compositions for a new album on Not Two Records. Great recording session at the Shape Shoppe with the masterful Griffin Rodriguez at the board. On Wednesday Locksmith Isidore performed at Edgefest-the truly one of a kind improvised music festival in Ann Arbor. We had the honor of opening for Roscoe Mitchell. Wow, I can't say enough about Roscoe's incredible, trancendent playing.  Many thanks to Deanna Relyea for her incredible efforts in organizing the fantastic 4 days of music including the likes of Roscoe, Han Bennick, Michael Moore, Ned Rothenberg, Marty Erlich, Michael Attias, Ron Miles, Wayne Horvitz, and many others. I wish I could have stayed all weekend and listened and learned. Plus, there is no where I like to practice more than at my old school, the University of Michigan School of Music.

This was a busy week. Gigs just about every night. Working on writing new Locksmith Isidore music. And with some creative rubber banding, my horn is even working. I had a blast tonight performing with one of Chicago's great working bands, Mike Reed's Loose Assembly at the University of Chicago Department of Visual Arts. We're there the next two Fridays as well-October 9th and 16th. 5228 S. Harper Ave (by Dr. Wax), Chicago IL.

I am asked very frequently who my favorite bass clarinetists are. So I decided to ask (and answer) myself the same question and start my little blog with the following list, very much in no particular order, of the 10 bass clarinetists every enthusiastic listener should know.

10 BASS CLARINETISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU HAVE HAPPENED UPON MY MUSIC.

1. RUDI MAHALL. Rudi is a freakishly incredible player and stylist. I had the opportunity to perform with Rudi in 2008 in Berlin. It was an honor and a definite learning experience I will remember.

2. LOUIS SCLAVIS. Sclavis has recorded for ECM, and Label Bleu. Whenever I'm feeling like I can really play my instrument, I pop in a Sclavis record and am quickly reminded how much I have to work on and learn. Louis makes playing the bc sound effortless.

3. DAVID MURRAY. David was my original teacher on the bass clarinet. I went to his hotel room in Bozeman, Montana and he showed me how to play "Let's Cool One" and how to slap tounge. This was, of course, after we finished watching "Matlock". David said, "I'm lazy man, we're gonna watch Matlock before we play." Lazy, right. This was during the time when David was arranging the music for "Octet Plays Trane". After Matlock David proceeded to play me Trane's Giant Steps solo (lighting fast) like it was a leisurely afternoon stroll. That's education.

4. NED ROTHENBERG. "In The Thick" on Ned's solo record The Crux (Leo Records)!!!

5. MICHEL PILZ. MIchel has a totally personal sound on the bc, which is not an easy thing to do.

6. KEN VANDERMARK. Ken's solo on "The Coooler" on the Vandermark 5 record Burn The Incline is still one of my favorite statements on bass clarinet. I listened to this track a million times when I was in college. Ken's phrasing and clarity was totally different from anything I had ever heard on the instrument.

7. ANDREW D'ANGELO. Best recorded bass clarinet sound ever. 

8. MICHAEL LOWENSTERN. Michael is an amazing musician and all around amazing guy. He is a sort of general authority on all things bass clarinet. We are lucky to have him out there, sharing his knowledge with us. Michael's version of "Summertime" on the bc is a spellbinding classic.

9. MICHAEL MOORE. The title track on Gerry Hemingway's "Perfect World" features Micheal on some super deep bc playing. When I started playing the bass clarinet I wanted to sound like Michael Moore on this record. Not a bad starting point, huh.

10. ERIC DOLPHY. What can I say that hasn't been said before. Eric is the originator. The innovator. One of the great heros of jazz and improvised music. And by all accounts, a truly gentle and kind man who kept lima beans in his kitchen closet and more technique in one finger than most of us could hope to have in our entire body.