Heat On at the Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee on July 8, 2025

Chicago-based drummer Lily Finnegan's quartet Heat On featuring Ed Wilkerson and Fred Jackson on saxes as well as Nick Macri on bass came through Milwaukee last week to perform at the venerable Jazz Gallery. They were on a short tour to celebrate the release of their first album on Cuneiform Records.

The set contained all original compositions by Finnegan. These solid pieces were bought to life with Chicago free jazz legends Wilkerson and Jackson out front, but they were very capably supported by the strong foundation of Macri and Finnegan. It was a wonderful meeting of junior and senior Chicago musicians. 

Finnegan and Macri return to Milwaukee at the end of July as part of a showcase performance of Ken Vandermark's Edition XL at the Jazz Estate. Hopefully this blog will be able to record that night, but local music lovers should always keep in mind that despite efforts to preserve our precious musical culture, experiencing live music performances in real time will always be where it's at.

Buy their album here.

Recording information:

HEAT ON

2025-07-08

Milwaukee, WI

The Jazz Gallery

Ed Wilkerson: tenor sax and didgeridoo 

Fred Jackson: alto sax and "little instruments"

Nick Macri: bass

Lily Finnegan: drums and compositions

Tracklist:

01 RSJ 

02 Green Milk

03 Inverted Spoon

04 Beltline

05 The Great

Total time = 69:17

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 in NOS in front row

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (518 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (196 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

a video of the first set courtesy of our friends at BRAG Milwaukee:

Ra Bishop at the Sugar Maple in Milwaukee on April 6, 2025

Ra Bishop is the name of a Chicago group co-led by trombonist Jeb Bishop and percussionist Avreeayl Ra, which also features Ed Wilkerson, jr on tenor sax, clarinets, and didgeridoo, and Erez Dessel on piano. They have released a new album and this incredible concert was part of a pair of shows commemorating the release.

  this photo which shows Mr Dessel  is by Keith Berg

The front room of the Sugar Maple was an excellent venue to really hear the different instruments -- sometimes in the much smaller back room everything can get drowned out by a powerful drummer.

Purchase their new album here.

Recording information:

  

RA BISHOP

2025-04-06

Milwaukee, WI

Sugar Maple

Ed Wilkerson: tenor sax, bass clarinet, clarinet 

Jeb Bishop: trombone

Erez Dessel: piano

Avreeayl Ra: drums

Tracklist:

01 First Improvisation (36:26)

02 Second Improvisation (12:52)

03 Third Improvisation (17:22)

Total time = 66:40

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 in ORTF in front row

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (377 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (197 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

concert video from a few days prior at Constellation in Chicago:

   

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