Vincent Davis Percussion Plus

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courtesy Vincent Davis

Vincent Davis

Chicago-based drummer Vincent Davis has played shows or recorded with a constellation of artists — from the legendary Roscoe Mitchell to youthful phenom Isaiah Collier — since studying in the early 1980s at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. As a bandleader, one of Davis' longest-running projects is Percussion Plus; this BlueStem Jazz concert brings back various alumni from past configurations. Davis will be joined by Micah Collier (bass), Justin Dillard (keys), Scott Hesse (guitar), Hanah Jon Taylor (sax) and Corey Wilkes (trumpet).

media release: Presented by BlueStem Jazz. $25.

VINCENT DAVIS + PERCUSSION PLUS

featuring Hanah Jon Taylor, Justin Dillard, Corey Wilkes, Micah Collier and  Scott Hesse

This event will relocate to the indoor lounge should the weather conditions be unfavorable.

Chicago native and renowned drummer and educator, Vincent Davis, is happy to present a reunion gathering one of the ORIGINAL ensembles of his project, Percussion Plus. Davis formed Percussion Plus in 2008 and led it through many configurations over almost 7 years. On this special evening, Percussion Plus will consist of Hanah Jon Taylor  on saxophone, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Scott Hesse on guitar, Justin Dillard on keys, Micah Collier on bass, and of course, Vincent Davis on the drum set.

Corey Wilkes has established himself as one of the best improvising trumpeters in the modern era. Having the skill and maturity to approach avant-garde to mainstream jazz standards along he combines them with his own unique sensibilities. Corey continues to bring his brand of musicianship and talent to the forefront of the genre.

As a child, growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Wilkes was surrounded by the sounds of Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk and Jazz. He picked up the trumpet for the first time at the age of 10 participating in his school band programs. Corey's natural talent immediately began to flourish. His confidence and maturity were well beyond his years. As a student at Rich South High School in Richton Park, Illinois, his hard work and dedication secured him a spot in the Illinois All State Honors Jazz Combo; the first student in the school's history to do so.

Justin Dillard, born and raised on the west side of Chicago and attending both Vandercook College of Music and The Velvet Lounge; his studies at both institutions gave him the honorable privilege to work with innovators locally and globally performing/recording with and/or receiving tutelage from the likes of: Branford Marsalis, Robert Irving III, Ornette Coleman, the late jazz master Von Freeman and Roscoe Mitchell to name a few. Howard Reich (Chicago Tribune arts critic) writes: “A new generation of jazz improvisers has emerged in Chicago in recent years, but few are more promising than organist/pianist Justin Dillard. Musically, Dillard tends to be all over the keyboard, drawing upon the examples of virtuosos such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eddie Harris and McCoy Tyner. But there’s something more to Dillard’s work as well; a quest for new ideas in music, in the manner of his AACM mentors.” Justin has performed on national television (ABC) with his organ expose’ The DOT; and has played in various genres spanning Avant Garde with the late tenor master Fred Anderson to a Dave Matthews tribute band (Crash). He continues to transform his career by composing for and peforming with his vast array of ensembles; all while accompanying great musicians all over the world.

Hanah Jon Taylor has received the critical acclaim of audiences and media throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the Americas and Asia Minor. His unique and lyrical persona on the flute, saxophone and wind synthesizer has warranted him as atrue master of improvisation.

With a career spanning over 40 years, Mr. Taylor has appeared as a bandleader and  sideman with many noted jazz artists.  Upon completing his studies at Southern Illinois University with a master of science degree in music therapy, he returned to Chicago to be inducted into the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).  Hanah became part of ‘Infinite Spirit Music’, with pianist Soji Adebayo, bassist Josef Ben Israel, percussionist Averyael Ra and woodwindist Light Henry Huff.  In 1979, Hanah made his first appearance in Europe, performing with pianist Burton Greene in Holland (the Netherlands).

 While briefly residing in Amsterdam, Hanah performed at the BIMhuis with bassist Roberto Bellatalla, drummer Sonny Murray and met saxophone-master Archie Shepp.  Returning to Chicago, Hanah joined the Colson Unity Troupe with Ade and Iqua Colson and in 1983, to then leave for a three-year union with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble (EHE), touring Europe, Scandinavia in a trio with percussionist Kahil El-Zabar and multi-reedist Edward Wilkerson.During this time, Mr. Taylor began to also assemble his own trio, Everyday Heroes, with former-Coltrane bassist Donald Rafeal Garrett and percussionist Steve McCall.  In 1986, Hanah co-led the first avant-garde jazz ensemble to perform at the 2nd Annual Peoples’ International Music Festival in Havana, Cuba. With the passing of both McCall and Garrett, the ensemble re-emerged in1987 with pianist Calvin Coco Brunson, French bassist Cecile Savage and drummer Toby Williams.  By the end of decade, Hanah, now performing more frequently overseas and making  tighter alliances with other European jazz artists, appeared with the group Gibralter, featuring percussionist DenisFournier; later to record with him in the group ‘Watershed’, a Franco-American ensemble, in 2012.   

As an educator, Mr.Taylor has worked in both private and public sectors of K-12, as an instructor and artist-in-residence.  From 1991 to 1993,he was commissioned by the University of Chicago to organize and direct its first UC Improvisation Orchestra.

From his research as a student at SIU, Hanah had nurtured the idea of offering organized music to communities-at-large, as a proactive activity. Moving to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993, offered him the opportunity to actualize a program called ’Musonics’, providing sessions and workshops with both youths and adults, still in operation.  From 2003 to 2007, he co-founded and served as Curator for the Madison Center for Creative and Cultural Arts.  Maintaining his career as both an artist and educator, Hanah taught courses in Contemporary American Music History and World Music at Madison Media Institute from 2007 through 2014.

In recent years, he leads his latest ensemble, the Hanah Jon Taylor Artet and has appeared and/or recorded with bassist Malachi Favors, drummer Vincent Davis, flutist Nicole Mitchell, cellist Tomeka Reid, bassmaster Richard Davis, multi-reedist Roscoe Mitchell, French pianist Jobic LeMasson, drummer Reggie Nicholson and composer/pianist Joan Wildman and has performed in New York(US), Marrakech, (Morocco) and Istanbul(Turkey).

Presently, Hanah is owner/operator of Cafe CODA, Madison’s only Jazz venue and artistic director with Kuumba Renaissance Ltd., a creative arts initiative and contractor of the ‘Culture Coach’, a mobile stage unit, commissioned with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE); Uptown United; the Chicago Park District and other Chicago non-profits such as the Poetry Foundation.

Hanah Jon Taylor plays Henri Selmer (Paris) tenor and soprano saxophones, the Muramatsu EXIII flute, and the Yamaha WX11 Wind Controller. He is a recording artist with Tiger Fish Records (Chicago), Fish Eye Records (Madison), and Rogue Art Records (Paris).