Name: WDCB 90.9FM presents Ben Paterson Quartet
Start: 2025-08-26T20:00:00
Location: Dearborn Station

Ben Paterson

Jazz Showcase

Born on Chicago’s west side, DEE ALEXANDER is one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female vocalist/songwriters. Her talents span every music genre, from Gospel to R&B and Blues to Neo-Soul, yet her true heart and soul are experienced through her performance of Jazz. Whether in a soft, sultry ballad or a scat-filled romp, she delivers with a passion for music that comes across in every note, and a grace that is truly her own. Alexander boasts long and fruitful associations with Chicago’s jazz elite, including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, Nicole Mitchell, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). She leads her own Dee Alexander Quartet, as well as the Evolution Ensemble, whose music ranges from original compositions to renditions of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. Her Jazz Institute of Chicago-commissioned tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington, Sirens of Song, marked the beginning of worldwide recognition, and her performance on the Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion stage launched a period of extensive touring in Europe. Alexander has received the Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz award and the 3Arts Award for Music. Her CD, Wild is the Wind, was named the album of the summer in France; earned her top votes in Downbeat’s Readers’ and Critics’ polls; received 5 stars in Downbeat; and was chosen as one of the magazine’s top ten recordings in the first decade of the new millennium. She has garnered accolades in African, Australian, European, and North American press. She is currently a host on the WFMT Jazz Radio Network.

Alexander Mclean Project

Dearborn Station

A bold performer, soulful composer and passionate educator, Trumpeter Marques Carrol is dedicated to preserving the authentic culture of Jazz and spreading his holistic love of music around the world.

Marques Carroll Quintet

Named a 2024 Downbeat Magazine “Rising Star”, composer and percussionist Thaddeus Tukes is one of the most dynamic musicians in America. Presented as the "World's Best Vibraphonist" by World Expo 2020 in Dubai, his virtuosity and creativity "brings poetry to the vibraphone" (Chicago Tribune, 2019), which has captivated audiences around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Symphony Center in Chicago, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. As one of “Chicago’s Hidden Gems” (CBS, 2023), Thaddeus honors the legacy of the jazz tradition and beyond.

Vibraphonist Thaddeus Tukes Quintet

Bassist, Composer and Educator, Clark has toured and performed extensively throughout the world. He has had the privilege of performing with Cedar Walton, Darrell Grant, Brian Blade, Ernie Watts, Bennie Maupin, Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Frank Wess, Charles McPherson, Peter Bernstein, Lin Haliday, Dana Hall, Jodie Christian, Bobby Broom, Jeff Parker, Ron Perrillo, Geof Bradfield, Michael Weiss, George Fludas, Kevin Mahogany, Eden Atwood, Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, The Chicago Jazz Orchestra among others.

Clark Sommers W'Ba(SH)

Heralded as one of the most important saxophonists of our time, composer and producer, Chico Freeman has perfected an immediately recognizable approach to music and composition, blending what he has experienced from his past and providing fluidity into a future of infinite musical possibilities.

Chico Freeman Quartet

Saxophonist Christopher McBride is based in New York City. His work includes education, arranging and composition in addition to performance. He has been slowly but steadily turning heads with his ubiquitous work as an invaluable sideman since the mid-2000’s. Now Christopher is gaining respect amongst fans, critics, and his peers as one of the most versatile saxophonists in the world. His 2012 debut album Quatuor de Force certainly establishes his ability to front a group and write his own soulful, melodically indelible tunes. Applauded for his ability to play in all musical situations, McBride has the ability to unleash a fiery attack and serrated tone, but on his first album he explores a more measured, mellow sound heavily influenced by contemporary R&B—with a strong shot of Cannonball Adderley’s post-bop sensuality—but his improvising is very rigorous and cogent. As a composer, McBride was selected as the 2022 Make Jazz Fellowship artist at The 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California.

Christopher McBride

WDCB 90.9 fm presents Ben Paterson Quartet for the Oscar Peterson Centennial