Imaginary Chicago Records Updates

04.01.14 Chicago Jazz Musician Wins Religion Award

2014-04-01T09:40:00.001-07:00

Chicago bassist, guitarist and composer Karl E. H. Seigfried has been awarded Best Religion Weblog 2014 for his website, The Norse Mythology Blog. This is the third straight year his blog has won the top spot in the international Weblog Awards. Karl is the only religion writer to have a triple win, and his site is now the first religion blog to enter the Hall of Fame in the world's longest-running blog awards.

In addition to his twenty years as a professional musician, Karl has established a second career writing and teaching Norse mythology and religion. Since 2010, his blog has been a leading public resource featuring original articles on all aspects of Norse myth and interviews with artists, authors, musicians and religious leaders whose work is inspired by the ancient tales. His Worldwide Heathen Census 2013 was the first international survey of modern believers in the ancient faith of Thor and Odin, and he is the author of all Norse-related definitions for the Religion Stylebook of the Religion Newswriters Association.

Karl's Norse religion course at Carthage College was the first course on the subject in a U.S. college religion department. He has also taught Norse mythology at Loyola University Chicago and currently teaches for the Newberry Library Continuing Education Program. He has been interviewed on Norse myth by History Channel, Public Radio International's The World, Viking Magazine and Strings Magazine. He has also been a featured writer and lecturer at the Joseph Campbell Foundation and the Wagner Society of America.

As a musician, Karl is one of the most widely-recorded Chicago players of his generation. He can be heard on twenty-four albums of jazz, classical, avant-garde, rock and country music. His releases on Imaginary Chicago Records have received international acclaim. Portrait of Jack Johnson was named one of the top ten albums of the year by the editors of Jazziz and received four stars from DownBeat. Of Alien Feelings (his collaboration with Ornette Coleman drummer Calvin Weston featuring John Medeski, Vernon Reid, Todd Rundgren, Jack Walrath and members of Focus, Hawkwind, Spyro Gyra and Supertramp) was named a top album of the year by critic Howard Mandel; DownBeat gave it four stars and named it one of the best CDs of the year.

On Tuesday, April 8, Karl will take a break from writing and recording to lead his trio at Chicago's historic Jazz Showcase. This is Karl's first public appearance with his jazz trio in the Windy City since 2010. The trio (Karl on upright bass, Chris Greene on saxophone, Clif Wallace on drums) will play music from his award-winning Portrait of Jack Johnson album and new music from his upcoming release, Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Don't miss this rare Chicago appearance of Karl's jazz trio! Click here for details on the Jazz Showcase website. Sets are at 8pm and 10pm; cover is only $10 for adults and $5 for students and musicians. The Jazz Showcase is located at 806 S Plymouth Court, Chicago – telephone: (312) 360-0234. Karl can be reached via the contact page on his blog.

07.12.12 Spirit Song named Top 10 Jazz Album

2012-07-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Reader has named Spirit Song by Bertram & Nancy Turetzky one of its Top Ten San Diego Jazz Recordings of 2011.

The Reader writes that "Bert's virtuosity is known the world over, but his wife Nancy's accomplishments are not as well known. A shame, because she is a flute master of the highest degree. Together they bring music of the 14th Century to vivid life, and explore contemporary classical music – much of which was written specifically for them."

We congratulate Bert and Nancy on this honor and invite you to hear samples from the recording by clicking here.

07.02.12: Imaginary Chicago Records on Facebook

2012-07-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Imaginary Chicago Records has a new Facebook page! The timeline provides information on all of our releases and features regular updates about our artists' latest projects and performances. Visit us at facebook.com/ImaginaryChicago for news about Bertram Turetzky, Calvin Weston, Karl E. H. Seigfried, The Lost Cartographers and all our other artists.

We also post the latest news on Twitter as NewChicagoSound.

07.25.11: Rust Belt Soul Is Here

2011-07-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The second album by multicultural genre-busters Scientific Map takes a new direction by adding vocalist Gene Stovall, a longtime friend and collaborator of guitarist/vocalist/bandleader Matt Hudson.

Gene & Matt met over a decade ago in Pittsburgh. Both grew up along the Rust Belt, moving between Cleveland, Detroit, Erie, Pittsburgh and Rochester before coming to Chicago. Living in these different cities – and moving between their varied music scenes – has shaped the music the two write together.

Rust Belt Soul is what Gene & Matt call their new take on classic soul music. The album combines a love of vintage singers like Marvin Gaye with an urge to incorporate newer musical ideas. It also takes Gene & Matt’s experience in electronica, funk, gospel, hip hop, house, jazz, reggae, rock & trance and mashes it up to create the latest version of the New Chicago Sound.

The production team assembled by Gene & Matt reflects the music’s cross-genre feel. House music innovator Anthony Nicholson recorded the tracks with Brian Bullard, engineer for classical superstars Renée Fleming and Lang Lang. The album was mixed by Sean O’Keefe, virtuoso producer of gold records for Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights and Plain White T’s.

Check out Rust Belt Soul here.

07.29.10: Portrait of Jack Johnson CD Release Party

2010-07-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

On July 30, Imaginary Chicago Records hosts a CD Release Party for Portrait of Jack Johnson by Karl E. H. Seigfried at Morseland, located at 1218 W Morse Ave in Chicago. The Seigfried Trio headlines the event, and fellow ICR recording artists The Lost Cartographers open. The first set begins at 10pm.

Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present Portrait of Jack Johnson, the new recording by Chicago composer/bassist/guitarist Karl E. H. Seigfried. The album features "The Boxing Bassist Suite," which portrays three boxing champions who also played bass - Jack Johnson, Archie Moore, and Ezzard Charles. Seigfried, who writes for East Side Boxing and has trained as a boxer, has composed pieces that capture the flamboyant styles of the champions both inside and outside of the ring.

The album continues with "Portraits in Jazz," a collection of dedications to jazz artists Seigfried has worked with or who have inspired his music. The tracks span rural blues, New Orleans street music, swing, bebop, and modern improvisation. Included in the set are Malachi Favors, the Velvet Lounge, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Cheatham, Mary Lou Williams, Fred Anderson, Roswell Rudd, and Sidney Bechet.

The Lost Cartographers open the show. The Americana quintet’s 2009 debut recording on Imaginary Chicago Records has received international critical acclaim, and the band has gained a devoted following for live shows that blend traditional country, modern jazz, and progressive rock.

Check out Portrait of Jack Johnson here.

01.28.10: Soul Power Trio and Pentagram

2010-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

On January 30, Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present a concert by Soul Power Trio, Pentagram, and Gates of Slumber at The Empty Bottle, located at 1035 N Western Ave in Chicago. This special over-21 show starts at 9pm, with a $20 cover.

CHICAGO READER - CRITIC'S CHOICE - RECOMMENDED

TIME OUT CHICAGO - TOP LIVE SHOW OF THE WEEK
"Karl E.H. Seigfried goes gonzo on the guitar in the Soul Power Trio, a combo of local jazzers swapping instruments, turning up their amplifiers and grafting their chops to deep grooves anchored by bassist Aaron Getsug and drummer Chris Avgerin."

Sharing the stage with sludge metal superstars Jucifer and doom metal pioneers Pentagram (established 1971), Soul Power Trio have established themselves as one of Chicago's most exciting live rock acts. Their extended, improvisatory jams combine retro-Sabbath heaviness with Hendrix-style virtuosity.

Lead guitarist Karl E. H. Seigfried has recorded several albums with members of 1970s space rock institutions Hawkwind, Gong, Cartoon, and Soft Machine; his extracurricular activities manifest themselves in a wizard-like approach to guitar soloing that sets the band apart from most current rock. When not leading Soul Power Trio on guitar, Seigfried is a critically-acclaimed upright bassist in jazz, rock, and classical music.

Soul Power Trio features electric bassist Aaron Getsug, who is known worldwide as the premiere baritone saxophonist to come out of Chicago's AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). His bass playing with the trio has been compared to Geezer Butler's work with Black Sabbath. Drummer Chris Avgerin performs with several of Chicago's heaviest metal bands, and he lays down deep grooves beneath the powerful lines of the trio.

"One of the most revered saxophonists in Chicago jazz, Getsug picks up the electric bass guitar for a round of heavy metal with the Trio. Jazz fans will recognize Dr. Karl E.H. Seigfried from his tenure on acoustic double bass, but will be entertained to see his wizardry on electric guitar. Getsug and Seigfried are joined by Chris Avgerin on drums. Considering the sound is coming from only a trio, there's a lot going in Soul Power Trio's catchy grooves."
- Centerstage Chicago

"The Soul Power Trio rightfully prides itself on its ethnic and stylistic
diversity."
- TimeOut Chicago

Check out live video and audio clips at myspace.com/soulpowertrio

10.30.09: Soul Power Trio and Jucifer

2009-10-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

On November 8, Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present a concert by Soul Power Trio and Jucifer at The Darkroom, located at 2210 W Chicago Ave in Chicago. This special over-21 show starts at 9pm, with a $10 cover.

"An infernal heavy metal hymn." - All About Jazz

Imaginary Chicago Records recording artists SOUL POWER TRIO are unique on the modern heavy music scene. Throwbacks to an earlier mode of live rock performance, their completely improvised shows have been compared to on-stage music by Jimi Hendrix & the Band of Gypsys, early Black Sabbath, and Hawkwind.

Lead guitarist Karl E. H. Seigfried has been heard on stage and on recordings with members of Prog Rock bands Hawkwind, Gong, Psychic TV, and Soft Machine; with jazz artists Fred Anderson, Bobby McFerrin, Fred Anderson, and members of the Sun Ra Arkestra and the Art Ensemble of Chicago; and leading orchestral bass sections behind Emmanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Evelyn Glennie, Hilary Hahn, Sharon Isbin, Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor, Itzhak Perlman, and Matthew Santos.

Bassist Aaron Getsug is a member of Hi-Fi & the Roadburners, and has been heard with Juice & the Machine, MC Lyte, Jimmy Heath, and the AACM Great Black Music Ensemble. Drummer Chris Avgerin is a member of Chicago Death Metal heroes Blood of the Tyrant, as well as many hip hop, rock, and jazz groups in the city.

Live videos and audio clips can be found here: myspace.com/soulpowertrio

"Jucifer wield a Sleep-like density and enough metallic power to jostle Ozzy back to sanity." - Alternative Press

JUCIFER has provided their unique brand of Sludge & Doom Metal since 1993, and has been constantly on the road since 2001. Guitarist and vocalist Amber Valentine fronts the duo, originally from Athens, GA. While their albums have received critical and fan acclaim, they are notorious for the volume and intensity of their live shows.

Valentine's partner in the band is her husband, drummer Edgar Livengood. He coined the band's name from a statement he heard during O.J. Simpson's trials for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman: "If he's guilty, then he's the devil and The Juice is Lucifer."

Jucifer has released several albums on various labels, including "Calling All Cars on the Vegas Strip," "I Name You Destroyer," "If Thine Enemy Hunger," and "L'Autrichienne."

For more info, please visit: myspace.com/jucifer

09.01.09: Boykin, Seigfried, & Reed Reunion

2009-09-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

On September 5, Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present a concert by Boykin, Seigfried, and Reed at Heaven Gallery, located at 1550 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago. As part of the Hereafter Fest running during the Chicago Jazz Festival, the trio performs at 10pm, followed by the Macrocosmic Sound Orchestra. Admission is free, but small donations are requested.

Boykin, Seigfried, and Reed are playing together for the first time since 2005. Their self-titled debut album, released in 2004, was the first release by Imaginary Chicago Records. It received international critical acclaim and was followed by a successful American tour. The trio hosted Chicago's historic Avant-Garde Jazz Jam Session from 2002 through 2005, eventually joined by co-host Nicole Mitchell of Chicago's AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians).

In the years since they last worked together, all three members have greatly advanced their visibility on the international music scene. Saxophonist David Boykin leads the Expanse and the Macrocosmic Sound Orchestra as well as being a featured member of Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble; he will be heard on Imaginary Chicago Record's upcoming release by the Mantra Blue Free Orchestra. Bassist Karl E. H. Seigfried has emerged as a multi-instrumentalist and pan-stylist, performing and recording with artists as diverse as Chicago Free Jazz legend Fred Anderson and 1970s British Progressive Rock pioneers Hawkwind; he recently agreed to play lead guitar for a 2010 Hawkwind tour and subsequent live album (to be released on Imaginary Chicago Records). Mike Reed has developed a career as one of the most influential promoters in Chicago music and continues to play drums with several innovative jazz groups in the city.

Check out what critics said about the original recording here.

05.04.09: Walk On CD Release Party

2009-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

On June 19, Imaginary Chicago Records hosts a CD Release Party for Walk On by The Lost Cartographers at Morseland, located at 1218 W Morse Ave in Chicago. The Lost Cartographers headline the event and About a Girl opens. The first set begins at 10pm, and cover is $5.

Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present Walk On, the debut album from The Lost Cartographers, featuring ten original songs from the Chicago quintet. Led by three singer-songwriters, the band tells tales of train tracks, setbacks, leaving, love, and loss. Sultry lead vocals and haunting harmonies light the way as the group travels through a landscape filled with the sounds of Americana, bluegrass, country, folk, jazz, and rock.

The album opens with the gritty garage rock of title track "Walk On," then hitchhikes to classic country territory with "Killing Time in Nashville." After a dark American-gothic episode in "Hudson River Teenage Blues," the band stops by the roadside for the hillbilly stomp of "Goodbye Ohio." The album journeys through a land of longing and loneliness, and ends at the edge of the universe with the feedback-soaked psychedelia of "Golden Record."

Recorded at Delmark/Riverside Studios in Chicago, the album was made using vintage equipment from the legendary Chess Records. The Lost Cartographers revel in the romantic nostalgia of a time gone by, but push forward into new territories, hell-bent on never standing still.

Check out the new release here.

10.11.08: Power to the Babies CD Release Party

2008-10-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

On November 14, Imaginary Chicago Records hosts a CD Release Party for Power to the Babies by Scientific Map at Morseland, located at 1218 W Morse Ave in Chicago. Scientific Map headlines the event, fellow ICR recording artists The Lost Cartographers open, and The Gaucho performs DJ sets throughout the evening. The first set begins at 10pm.

Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present Power to the Babies, the debut recording by Chicago genre-busters Scientific Map. Produced by acclaimed house/electronica artist Anthony Nicholson, the recording is a bold statement of the New Chicago Sound.

Moving between Afrobeat, funk, fusion, hip hop, new groove, nu-jazz, psychedelia, and R&B, Power to the Babies could only have been recorded in Chicago. Its stylistic fluency is a result of the varied artistic demands placed on musicians in such a culturally diverse city.

Bandleader/guitarist Matt Hudson describes the musical vision of the new album: "We're now experiencing the end of genre. Information from around the world is travelling to us so quickly that we're constantly exposed to new cultural and musical ideas. Musicians can't help but be influenced by this. If they're open-minded enough, the result is a cohesive, genreless sound that is fresh and new."

Throughout the album, Matt Hudson's playing demonstrates an innovative and nuanced re-imagining of jazz guitar that is influenced as much by Wes Montgomery as by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. This stylistic diversity is reflected in the range of guest artists featured throughout, including rock 'n' roll saxophonist Aaron Getsug (Hi-Fi & the Roadburners) and Pittsburgh R&B vocalist Gene Stovall.

The Lost Cartographers, currently mixing their own debut recording for ICR, open the evening with their innovative take on Chicago-style alt.country and Americana.

Check out the new release here.

05.31.08: Blue Rhizome CD Release Party

2008-04-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

On May 31, Imaginary Chicago Records hosts a CD Release Party for Blue Rhizome by the New Quartet at the Velvet Lounge, located at 67 E Cermak in Chicago. The New Quartet will start the evening by playing jazz versions of pieces from the new CD, and the late-night set will feature the Soul Power Trio playing heavy metal versions of the material. The first set starts at 9pm.

All the musicians involved in the event got their starts in jazz by playing at the Velvet Lounge, so the event presents a celebration of the unique musical community that has grown together over the years at the legendary South Side jazz club. Greg Ward of the New Quartet hosted a weekly jam session at the Velvet Lounge until recently, and Aaron Getsug of the Soul Power Trio has been performing at the club since he was barely out of junior high. Bassist and guitarist Karl E. H. Seigfried has been appearing regularly at the Velvet Lounge for fifteen years, leading groups and performing with artists including Fred Anderson, David Boykin, Ernest Dawkins, Fred Hopkins, Henry Grimes, George Lewis, and Nicole Mitchell.

The first set by the New Quartet starts at 9pm.

Check out the new release here.