Chris Greene Quartet

Description

The Chris Greene Quartet has been a highly visible part of Chicago's jazz scene since 2005, and has maintained a stable lineup from the beginning, with the exception of Steve Corley, who has held the drum chair since 2011. Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards and Marc Piane on acoustic and electric basses have been onboard since the beginning. Unique among Chicago bands, most of whom feature, by necessity, constantly shifting personnel, the CGQ has been able to develop a true group sound and feel, harking back to bands from the classic age of jazz when groups could stay together for long periods of time. While honoring the tradition, the CGQ incorporates elements of funk, hip-hop, rock, pop, the blues and reggae, reflecting their diverse backgrounds. CGQ's most recent album "PlaySPACE 2 - Play Harder" was voted one of the best albums of 2021 by DownBeat Magazine." The band was also recently honored at the 2018 Chicago Music Awards with an award for "Best Jazz Entertainer" and recently won the "Best Jazz Band" category in the Chicago Reader "Best of Chicago" Poll.

Work Sample

http://chrisgreenequartet.bandcamp.com

The link above is for the Chris Greene Quartet's Bandcamp page. All of the music from our official live and studio releases can be streamed and purchased on the page - 7 studio releases, 4 live albums, and 3 live "bootlegs."

Here are four live selections from a concert we did at the Evanston venue SPACE in 2018.

The audio and video clips submitted serve to show our musical versatility and well as our ability to mix styles, genres and musical feels. We hope that our music appeals to the jazz aficionado with 5000 albums or the patron experiencing their first ever jazz concert.

History

Saxophonist and composer Chris Greene was born in Evanston, IL. He spent his formative years in the award-winning Evanston High School Wind and Jazz Ensembles. As a teenager he began to play professionally with many local pop/rock and jazz bands. Greene eventually went to Bloomington, IN to attend the prestigious Indiana University Jazz Studies program and studied with renowned professor and cellist David Baker. Greene returned to Chicago in 1994 and has since collaborated with some of the nation's most creative and versatile musicians. As a performer, Greene can be seen with many different groups - in many different genres. He also leads his own critically-acclaimed group, the Chris Greene Quartet. He has also performed or recorded with the following artists: Common, The Temptations, Eric Roberson, Phonte, Ce Ce Peniston, Ed Motta, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Maysa Leak, Ten City, Sheena Easton, Steve Cole, Michael Manson, Andrew Bird, The J. Davis Trio, Chris Rob, Vic Lavender, Jesse De La Pena, Liquid Soul and The Mighty Blue Kings.

Artistic Vision

The Chris Greene Quartet has been a highly visible part of Chicago's jazz scene since 2005, and has maintained a stable lineup from the beginning, with the exception of Steve Corley, who has held the drum chair since 2011. Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards and Marc Piane on acoustic and electric basses have been onboard since the beginning. Unique among Chicago bands, most of whom feature, by necessity, constantly shifting personnel, the CGQ has been able to develop a true group sound and feel, harking back to bands from the classic age of jazz when groups could stay together for long periods of time. While honoring the tradition, the CGQ incorporates elements of funk, hip-hop, rock, pop, the blues and reggae, reflecting their diverse backgrounds.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

We have performed in every imaginable scenario - from large theatre and music festivals to school auditoriums to neighborhood watering holes to preschool gymnasiums. We are able to structure our concerts, workshops and presentations to accommodate all ages and musical tastes.