Ayako Kato (choreography, dance)
Called “compelling to behold” by Jack Anderson of the New York Times, Ayako Kato is a dancer and choreographer who hails from Yokohama, Japan. She established Art Union Humanscape (AUH) with a double bassist Jason Roebke in 1998. AUH received Crosscut sound and movement collaboration grant 2007 with cornetist Josh Berman and has accomplished the series of performances in Chicago, Intercontinental Dance Festival at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Japan Tour in January 2009. In the fall of 2008, she was invited to perform at The Other Dance Festival and Asian American Jazz Festival in Chicago. She was selected for Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Award 2007 to present Ten Nights Dream: Sound and Movement Mandala in June 2008 as the culmination of her Sound and Movement Ten Nights Dream Series (Tokyo in 2004 and 2005, Chicago in 2007). In 2006, she created Land the land -9, a peace of idea and performed in Chicago and Tokyo. Her works has been presented at International Series of Die Pratze Dance Festival in Tokyo, Japan, Dance Theater Workshop, Joyce Soho, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial, Links Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Hyde Park Art Center and other venues. Kato is also a recipient of funding from Japan Foundation, NY, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Illinois Arts Council. She is a former LinkUp performer in residence at Links Hall and DanceBridge artist in residence funded by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Having classical ballet background in Japan, Kato started to receive her modern dance training since 1996 in the United States and received MFA in dance from the University of Michigan in 1998. Kato has also trained herself in Tai-Chi, Noh Theater dance, and butoh.Asimina Chremos (dance)
Called “a strong, elegant, long-limbed dancer who moves with a sense of stark drama and genuine lyricism” by Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times, Asimina Chremos had intensive early training in classical ballet and later forayed into studies with postmodernists such as Simone Forti and Ishmael Houston-Jones. She has won awards for her choreographic development from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Chicago Dancemakers Forum. Recent influences on Chremos’ improvisational dance practice include regular investigation of yoga, Klein/Mahler Technique and contact improvisation; as well as collaboration with musicians such as experimental vocalist Carol Genetti and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. She is also performing this season (2009) with Chicago-based dance troupe, Lucky Plush Productions. VIsit website
Darin Gray (double bass)
Bassist Darin Gray has been a constant in the underground and sub-underground musical community since the 80's. In the early 90's he rose to prominence in St. Louis' hardcore-jazz Dazzling Killmen, Gray has since hightened his notoriety as an improviser on acoustic and electric bass. Outside of his working rock trio Grand Ulena, On Fillmore (a duo with percussionist Glenn Kotche of Wilco) and 3D3 (jazz combo with Dave Stone and Ulena's Danny McClain) he has continued relations with the likes of Alan Licht, Tim Barnes, Jim O'Rourke, Loren MazzaCane Connors, and others. His past group membership has spanned from Brise-Glace, to Yona Kit and You Fantastic! He has recorded with Bobby Conn, Kevin Drumm, Rope, O'Rourke, Will Oldham, KK Null, Bunnygrunt, Cheer-Accident and many others.
Darin Gray's Myspace
Darin Gray's page at Family-Vineyard Records & his website
Kent Kessler (double bass)
Jazz bassist Kent Kessler is best known for his part in numerous Chicago bands, usually in line-ups with reedsman Ken Vandermark. He first began appearing on recordings in the early '90s as a member of Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble. The band continued after Russell's death in 1992 with the addition of clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Vandermark. Kessler and Vandermark went on to play together in a number of bands that have revitalized Chicago's jazz scene, putting it back on the map of current avant-garde and free jazz. The Vandermark 5, DKV Trio and Steelwool Trio are just some of the many groups that feature Kent Kessler's wide and gritty sound. He has performed and recorded with a number of leading European improvisers, such as German powerhouse Peter Brotzmann (in his Chicago Tentet), Swedish avant-garde saxophonist Mats Gustafsson (in FJF), acclaimed Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg, and Dutch avant-garde saxophonist Luc Houtkamp. Kessler has also worked with legends that are closer to home, including Joe McPhee and Fred Anderson! Through his many projects, Kent Kessler has toured all over North America and Europe and has performed on an increasing number of albums per year, mostly on the Chicago labels Okkadisk and Atavistic. ~ (Quoted from Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide)
VIsit His Bio / Wikipedia about Kent Kessler
Julia Mayer (dance)
Julia Mayer has making and performing dances in Chicago for quite a while now. She has taught and choreographed, as faculty and guest artist, at several colleges, universities and studios and in Chicago and the Midwest. Her choreography and improvisations have been presented at venues all over Chicago. A sought-after teacher, improvisor and collaborative schemer, Julia is a 2007 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist. Recent collaborators include Ginger Farley, JulieAnn Graham, Ayako Kato, Marc Riordan, and Josh Sinton. Her groundbreaking CoffeeDance series of Friday morning performances ran for 2 1/2 years at Links Hall.
Jason Roebke (double bass)
The diversity of Jason Roebke’s musical associations make him one of the most sought after music makers in Chicago and beyond. His music is intensely physical, audacious, and sparse. Roebke composed music for Ayako Kato's "Ten Nights Dream - Sound and Movement Mandala" in 2008. Among the ensembles Roebke regularly tours with are the Jeb Bishop Trio, Fred Lonberg-Holm Valentine Trio, Klang, Keefe Jackson Quartet, Mike Reed's People, Places, and Things, Jorrit Dijkstra’s Flatlands Collective, Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore, Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown, and Arrive. VIsit website