For nearly as long as free improvisation has been a musical practice, improvising artists have engaged in collective action to build outlets for their creative expression. Catalytic Sound was formed in 2012 by 30 musicians from Europe and the United States who recognized the necessity to have a shared platform for disseminating information and selling their recordings. On its website, you can purchase albums, sign up for a paid streaming service, listen to podcasts coproduced by the musicians, and access digital editions of a quarterly publication in which they consider the aesthetic, emotional, and practical aspects of their work. And since 2020, Catalytic Sound’s artists have held an annual festival in cities where they’re based. This year, it will take place December 1, 2, and 3 in the Netherlands and Washington, D.C., and the following weekend in Asheville, New York City, and Chicago. The local incarnation, which takes place December 8, 9, and 10 at Elastic Arts and the Hungry Brain, will run the stylistic gamut from free jazz to spontaneous multimedia art. The lineup encompasses ensembles led by Catalytic Sound veterans, including Detroit drummer Ben Hall and local saxophonist Dave Rempis, as well as groups led by newer associates such as keyboardist Erez Dessel and saxophonist Sarah Clausen. New England-based multi-instrumentalist Joe Morris will reunite with local reeds player Edward Wilkerson Jr. in a duo that explores the influence that Chicago’s AACM has exerted on other improvisational communities. And dynamic percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Corsano will act as a sort of unofficial artist in residence, playing in a different duo each night; two are first-time encounters, with stylistically flexible pianist Mabel Kwan and Afrofuturist visionary Damon Locks, while a third resumes his long-running partnership with octogenarian poet, saxophonist, and sage Joe McPhee.
Catalytic Sound Festival night one In performance order, tonight’s three sets are a duo of Chris Corsano and Mabel Kwan, a duo of Edward Wilkerson Jr. and Joe Morris, and the Erez Dessel Group with Ben Hall, Fred Jackson Jr., Mai Sugimoto, and Marvin Tate. Fri 12/8 , 8 PM, Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey #208, $25, $60 three-day pass ($54 for Catalytic Sound members), all ages
Catalytic Sound Festival night two In performance order, tonight’s three sets are a duo of Chris Corsano and Damon Locks, a trio of Kim Alpert, Dorothy Carlos, and a special guest, and the Ben Hall Group with Mike Khoury, Lemuel Marc, Jaribu Shahid, and Kaleigh Wilder. Sat 12/9, 8 PM, Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey #208, $25, $60 three-day pass ($54 for Catalytic Sound members), all ages
Catalytic Sound Festival night three In performance order, tonight’s three sets are the Sarah Clausen Trio with Katie Ernst and Lily Finnegan, a duo of Chris Corsano and Joe McPhee, and the Dave Rempis Group with Gabby Fluke-Mogul, Ben Hall, Joshua Abrams, and Michael Zerang. Sun 12/10, 8:30 PM, Hungry Brain, 2319 W. Belmont, $25 for a single ticket, $60 three-day pass ($54 for Catalytic Sound members), 21+