Chad McCullough's Modal Horizons

Much of the work of composer, arranger and trumpet player Jim Knapp, a Chicago native who died in 2021, was written for large jazz ensembles — an endeavor undertaken by few since the days of the Big Bands. Knapp was a teacher at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle for more than four decades, and his music has rarely been performed in the Midwest in recent years, but Chad McCullough’s Modal Horizons is rectifying that with two shows, including this BlueStem Jazz concert at the Bur Oak. The 13-piece ensemble assembled by trumpet player McCullough includes JKO trumpeter Jay Thomas and an all-star lineup of Midwest players.

media release: Chad McCullough’s MODAL HORIZONS: The music of Jim Knapp featuring Jay Thomas at the Bur Oak | May 3 | 8pm  | LISTEN | TIX

A 12-piece ensemble plays the music of the late composer and arranger Jim Knapp. Featuring multi-instrumentalist Jay Thomas. 

Chicago-native Jim Knapp (1939-2021) had a long and storied career, with affiliations as varied as John Cage, Sam Rivers, Anthony Braxton, Manfred Eicher, and Gil Evans. For the first time in many years, his music will be performed in the midwest with a world-class ensemble led by Chicago trumpeter Chad McCullough. 

Trumpeter and saxophonist Jay Thomas has performed with the bands of Mel Lewis, Clayton-Hamilton, Maria Schneider, Bill Holman, Bob Florence and Frank Wess. He has played festivals with Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan, and recorded such luminaries as Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins, and Ray Brown. 

Originally from Seattle, Chad McCullough has made a name for himself in his adopted home of Chicago for over a decade. His projects under his own name, with Bram Weijters, and with the supergroup Atlantic Road Trip have garnered international acclaim. He has released 13 albums, toured in 15 countries, and is co-owner of Calligram Records. He is on faculty at UW-Madison and DePaul University. Downbeat Magazine praised his "stunning, chilled lyricism and compositional acuity" and the Chicago Tribune selected his album Forward as one of the top releases of 2020. He has performed with Maria Schneider, Miguel Zenon, Tim Hagans, Ambrose Akinmuserie, Marshall Gilkes, and Charles Tolliver.