$15 (General Admission)
7:30pm Show
Paul Hecht's Pyrography was hailed as "one of the best jazz releases of 2025" (Tim Larsen, JazzViews), and now Hecht has released a follow-up, Pyrography II, expanding from quartet to quintet. With the stellar James Davis on trumpet, along with a sensitive, fiery rhythm section of Ben Dillinger on bass and Gustavo Cortiñas on drums, Michael Hudson-Casanova rounds out the group on alto saxophone.
“Throughout the record, the group demonstrates a high level of telepathic interplay, balancing Hecht’s academic background and structural complexity with a soulful, outward-facing approach that makes the music as accessible as it is intellectually engaging.”
— Bob Osborne, World Of Jazz 798
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Hailing from Chicago, Pyrography is led by pianist/keyboardist Paul Hecht, who came of age as an improvising musician in Chicago with a vital generation of performers including Greg Ward, Matt Ulery, Quin Kirchner, and particularly Rob Clearfield. He now teaches eclectic classes in music and culture at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and performs regularly in venues throughout the Midwest. The band also includes Gustavo Cortiñas, a drummer and composer originally from Mexico who has distinguished himself with a series of projects of increasing ambition and scope, including his own record label, Desafío Candente. James Davis on trumpet is a longtime fixture of the Chicago scene, a notable composer and bandleader, and a valued member of many important Chicago ensembles. Ben Dillinger is one of the most sought-after young bass players in the city, equally at home in traditional jazz and avant-garde projects.
