Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Jarod Bufe’s quartet (formed in 2014) specializes in performing a repertoire of his original modern jazz compositions. Tonight’s concert features music written for the group in the last year and includes several pieces dedicated to Bufe’s close friends and family. The material draws musical inspiration from the harmonic palette and melodic structures developed by tenor great Joe Henderson. The quartet will augment its original program with interpretations of some of Henderson’s best known compositions, as well as pieces from Bufe’s 2018 debut recording entitled “New Spaces” (Origin Records).

Jarod Bufe - tenor saxophone
Tim Stine - guitar
Sam Peters - bass
Todd Howell - drums

website jarodbufe.com

Saxophonist Jarod Bufe has been active in the realms of woodwind repair and music performance since moving to Chicago in 1996. Soon after arriving, he established himself as one of the first-call saxophone repairmen in the area, while performing primarily as a section player in local big bands. In the early 2010s, his affiliation with the musician-curated Ratchet Series at the Skylark in Pilsen reinvigorated his longtime interest in original composition and improvisation in small group contexts. Today, Jarod maintains an active repair practice—counting many of Chicago's finest professional musicians and music educators among his loyal clientele—while regularly performing his original music with his quartet and trio at such area venues as FitzGerald's, the Whistler, and Elastic Arts. His principal collaborators to date include guitarist Tim Stine, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer, as well as bassists Anton Hatwich and Christian Dillingham, and drummers Quin Kirchner and Frank Rosaly. New Spaces, the debut album by the Jarod Bufe Quartet, was released by Origin Records in 2018.