$15 at the door 7:30pm Show

Chicago quartet Black Diamond will perform two sets of original compositions by woodwind players Artie Black (tenor saxophone, clarinets) and Hunter Diamond (tenor saxophone, flute), featuring Matt Ulery on bass and Neil Hemphill on drums.

Band Members:

Artie Black - Tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Hunter Diamond - Tenor saxophone, flute
Matt Ulery - Bass
Neil Hemphill - Drums

Black Diamond thrives on the chemistry and compositions of saxophonists Artie Black and Hunter Diamond. The two met in Indiana in 2010 and quickly found that their sounds and approaches formed a striking complement. Eventually settling in Chicago, Black and Diamond added bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Neil Hemphill to finalize a working band that has since released four recordings as a group. 2017’s Mandala (Shifting Paradigm Records) was listed as a DownBeat editor’s pick. Recorded live at the Whistler in Chicago, Chant (Shifting Paradigm) was celebrated with a performance at the Chicago Jazz Festival and a tour of the Pacific Northwest. 2020’s A Held Space (Woolgathering Records) features Black and Diamond in duo formation, layering and collaging improvised pieces to form a larger work inspired by the deep tradition of improvised music in Chicago. In a review, Jazz Journal UK wrote, “Albums that either encourage or enhance reflection are few and far between these days, but this isn’t the only reason why this one stands out in the crowd.” 2024 marked the release of Black Diamond’s newest work, Furniture of the Mind Rearranging (We Jazz Records). This double LP features the quartet sides and a fourth side of striking improvisations by Black and Diamond. The release was accompanied by a Midwest tour and 10 days of performances in France and Finland, culminating with a quartet show at the We Jazz Festival in Helsinki.