Chicago celebrates saxophonist Mars Williams, May 24 & 25

Ken Vandermark and fellow collaborators salute the music of Mars Williams on what would've been his 70th birthday. 

Writes saxophonist Ken Vandermark...

Very much looking forward to the Music From Mars events being held next weekend in Chicago to celebrate Mars Williams on what would have been his 70th birthday:

-Saturday, May 24, 8:30pm: The Devil’s Whistle, Constellation 8:30pm. Watch the livestream below. 

-Sunday, May 25

+2pm: Mars Williams’ Toy Story, a new piece composed and performed by Lia Kohl, with Katinka Kleijn and Macie Stewart, Rosehill Cemetery/May Chapel

+3-5pm: Opening reception for the Mars Williams archive, Experimental Sound Studio

+9pm: The NRG Ensemble plays the music of Mars Williams, Hungry Brain

It’s an honor to have been asked to be a part of The Devil’s Whistle and NRG Ensemble concerts. Dave Rempis and I got together Friday afternoon to run NRG material that Mars had composed for the group, most of which I performed and recorded with the band during the 1990’s (Corbett vs. Dempsey released a blistering live album, “Hold That Thought”, last March which captures NRG in concert in Holland during a 1996 European tour: https://corbettvsdempsey.com/records/hold-that-thought/).

Reviewing and playing the music with Dave brought back a lot of memories. It was an important time for Chicago music and Mars Williams was at its forefront.

Thanks to Dave Rempis and Steve Marquette for all their work in organizing these performances and their assistance in assembling the Mars Williams archive with ESS.

Link to Reader article by Bill Meyer with full coverage of the Music From Mars events: https://chicagoreader.com/music/concert-preview/music-from-mars-constellation/