It’s tempting to claim Chad Taylor as a Chicagoan. The drummer, percussionist, and educator grew up here, and his longest-running project, the Chicago Underground franchise—which can take the form of the Chicago Underground Duo, Trio, Quartet, or Orchestra, depending on how many people join Taylor and multi-instrumentalist Rob Mazurek—bears the city’s name. He’s also made a diverse and impressive body of work with other current and former Chicago residents, including Joshua Abrams, Fred Anderson, Jaimie Branch, Paul Giallorenzo, Jeff Parker, Matana Roberts, Jason Stein, and Ken Vandermark. But Taylor left town in 2001; he now lives in Philadelphia, and he’s been the director of jazz studies at the University of Pittsburgh since 2024. Over the past couple decades, he’s sustained rich associations with prominent jazz artists outside Chicago too, including Marc Ribot, Eric Revis, Craig Taborn, and James Brandon Lewis, and he’s led a series of bands under his own name. In every setting, Taylor’s propulsive grooves, deft decorations, and knack for shoring up a piece’s underlying forms enrich the music. His brand-new album, Smoke Shifter (Otherly Love), introduces a mostly Philadelphia-based quintet whose output steers closer to mainstream jazz than many of his previous collaborations.
The album’s compositions, which include contributions from Taylor, vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco, and tenor saxophonist Bryan Rogers, feature intricately constructed themes that showcase the rich melodic language of Rogers and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson (the ensemble’s sole non-Philadelphian). Bassist Matt Engle provides a sturdy pulse that gives Taylor plenty of room to explore his knack for elegant elaboration. This show at Constellation is the quintet’s first Chicago appearance.
Chad Taylor Quintet Sat 11/15, 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $20.72, 18+
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