OPTION SERIES
OPTION
OPTION is an ongoing music salon curated by Chicago musicians Andrew Clinkman, Lily Finnegan, and Ken Vandermark. Its programming explores contemporary perspectives on improvisation and composition in a 'salon' format, enabling local, national, and international artists to publicly discuss their practice and ideas as well as perform.
OPTION PROGRAMS
All 2024 performances are FREE and will be presented in-person every Sunday at 3pm CT at ESS. Concerts and interviews will be released as videos on ESS’s YouTube following the in-person performance. Artists in the 2024 season include Tomeka Reid, Brandon Seabrook, John Yau, and Brittany Karlson. Full line-up to be announced in the coming weeks. The June line-up is:
June 9: Luke Stewart Duo with Joshua Abrams
June 16: Dorothy Carlos (solo)
June 23: Jake Meginsky (solo)
June 30: Nick Dunston (solo)
Check out the 2023 OPTION Report! It compiles all the videos and interviews from last year’s OPTION series along with various press mentions and other fun info. Click the button below to dive in.
OPTION TALKS
OPTION Talks showcases conversations and recordings from Experimental Sound Studio's OPTION concert series. Since 2015, OPTION has explored perspectives on improvisation and composition in a salon format, allowing artists to discuss their practice and ideas, as well as perform. OPTION Talks is a co-production of Catalytic Sound and Experimental Sound Studio, and is produced by Sam Clapp and Haruhi Kobayashi. Hear every episode via the weekly OPTION Talks Member Edition, available to Catalytic Sound and Experimental Sound Studio members.
SUPPORT THE SERIES
Become a member of ESS to support the series and get cool Option related benefits.
Donate
If you'd prefer, make a one-time tax-deductible donation to OPTION in the amount of your choice here:
PAST SHOWS
2023
June 11 - Sarah Clausen
June 18 - Ben Billington / Andrew Scott Young (Whisker)
June 25 - gabby fluke-mogul
July 9 - Ben Hall & Kaleigh Wilder
July 16 - Angela Sawyer
July 22 - Edward Wilkerson & Joe Morris
July 30 - Jaribu Shahid
August 6 - Shanta Nurullah
August 13 - Francisco Mela
August 20 - Devon Gates
August 27 - Will Greene
September 3 - Erez Dessel
2022
May 29 - Evicshen
June 16 - Damon Locks
July 28 - Christof Kurzmann
August 27 - Mankwe Ndosi & Taalib-Din Ziyad
September 21 - Endris Hassan
October 21 - Gerald Cleaver/Brandon Lopez/Fred Moten Trio
2021
March 1 - Jim O’Rourke
March 8 - Junius Paul
March 15 - Gabby Fluke-Mogul
March 22 - ARKM Foam
March 29 - Akira Sakata
April 5 - Biliana Voutchkova
April 12 - Jasper Stadhouders
April 19 - Hanne De Backer
April 26 - Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center + Tyondai Braxton and Grace Villamil
May 3 - Audrey Lauro
May 10 - Vasco Trilla
May 17 - Hamid Drake
May 24 - Benjamin Vergara
May 31 - Kate Mohanty
June 7 - Erik Friedlander
June 14 - Han Bennink
June 21 - Isaiah Spencer
June 28 - Claire Rousay
September 13 - Mark Feldman
September 20 - Jessica Ackerley
September 27 - Clayton Thomas
October 4 - Quin Kirchner
October 11 - Silke Eberhard
October 18 - Axel Dörner
October 25 - JayVe Montgomery
November 1 - Karen Ng
November 8 - Ishmael Ali Catalan Zghoul
November 15 - Cecilia Lopez & Joe Moffett
November 22 - Lauren Sarah Hayes
November 29 - Guilherme Granado
2020
March 2 - Brandon Lopez
March 9 - Paul Lytton / Sam Pluta
April 20 - Hollow Deck
April 27 - Macie Stewart
May 4 - Claire Rousay
May 11 - Joe McPhee
May 25 - Sonja LaBianca & Heine Thorhauge Mathiasen
June 8 - Pedro Lopes
June 15 - Molly Jones
June 22 - Ensemble Dal Niente
June 29 - Ab Baars
July 6 - Nat Baldwin
July 13 - Joanna Mattrey
July 20 - Tashi Dorji
July 27 - Mette Rasmussen
August 3- Eugene Chadbourne
August 10 - Gerald Cleaver
August 17 - Magda Mayas
August 24 - Briggan Krauss
August 31 - Molly Jones & Angel Bat Dawid
September 14 - Gerald Cleaver
September 21 - John Hèbert
September 28 - Jasmine Mendoza
October 5 - Terrie Ex
October 12 - Farida Amadou
October 19 - Steve Baczkowski
October 26 - Zeena Parkins
2019
March 4 – Don Dietrich
March 11 – Biliana Voutchkova and Jakob Wormenbol
March 18 – Darius Jones
March 25 – Lisa Mezzacappa
April 1 – Matt Mehlan
April 8 – Sam Weinberg and Henry Fraser
April 15 – Adam Shead solo + duo with Matt Piet
April 22 - Anna Webber solo + duo with Katie Young
April 29 - Anne La Berge and Amanda Schoofs
May 6 - claire rousay with Emily Beisel
May 13 - Kim Alpert
May 20 - Urs Leimgruber with Jason Roebke
May 27 - Mabel Kwan
June 3 - Bill Harris with Peter Maunu
June 17 - Wendy Eisenberg
June 24 - Matt Lux
July 1 - Jeff Albert
July 8 - Sima Cunningham
July 15 - Katinka Kleijn & Bill McKay
July 22 - Hollow Deck
July 29 - Eli Wallace
August 5 - Alisa Kolot
August 12 - Joe Morris with Andrew Clinkman
August 19 - William Winant
August 26 - Darin Gray
September 2 - Sarah Clausen
September 9 - Ryan Sawyer
September 16 - Myra Melford
September 23 - Alex Mincek
September 30 - Nick Macri
October 7 - John Krasbauer & Tetuzi Akiyama
October 14 - Andrea Pensado
October 21 - Kyle Bruckmann with Macie Stewart & Ted Moore
October 28 - Wayne Montana
2018
March 12 – Ingrid Laubrock
March 19 – Kris Davis
March 26 – Molly Jones / Michael Foster & Ben Bennett
April 2 – Gerrit Hatcher & Anton Hatwich
April 9 – Tom Blancarte & Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen
April 16 – Shelton / Berre Duo
April 23 – Macie Stewart / Macie Stewart & Julian Kirshner Duo
April 30 - Michael Coleman & Ben Goldberg
May 7 – Angel Bat Dawid
May 14 – Jeff Kimmel solo + trio
May 21 – Jason Kahn / Jason Kahn & Carol Genetti Duo
May 28 – Bonnie Jones solo & discussion
June 4 – Wayne Horvitz & Sara Schoenbeck
June 11 – Dennis Gonzalez & Kent Kessler Duo
June 18 –Sam Decker Solo / Sfyria Trio
June 25 – Lia Kohl & Macie Stewart Duo
July 2 – Kelley Sheehan / Emily Beisel & Taylor Stevenson
July 9 –Tyler Damon solo & Tyler Damon & Andrew Scott Young duo
July 16 – J@K@L (Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, Julian Kirshner)
July 23 - Julien Bayle solo and discussion
July 30 - Susan Alcorn solo and discussion
August 6 - Kevin Davis solo / Kevin Davis, Katherine Young & Phil Sudderberg Trio
August 13 - Sarah Hughes solo / Sarah Hughes & Steve Hunt Duo
August 20 - Luke Stewart solo & discussion
August 27 - Ted Reichman solo & Havard Wiik solo
September 3 - CANCELLED, Don Dietrich Solo originally scheduled
September 10 - Max Johnson solo / Max Johnson, Dave Rempis, Sam Pluta
September 17 - Sandy Ewen solo & discussion
September 24 - Lilianna Zofia Wosko solo / Lilianna Zofia Wosko & Ben LaMar Gay
October 1 - LaDonna Smith solo & discussion
October 8 - Greg Kelley solo & discussion
October 15 - Lunch With Money featuring Lou Mallozzi & Douglas Ewart
October 22 - Gerry Hemingway solo & discussion
October 29 - Booker Stardrum solo / Book Stardrum, Dave Rempis, Beth McDonald
2017
March 6 – Ned Rothenberg
March 13 – Nicola Hein with Fred Lonberg-Holm & Phillip Sudderberg
March 20 – Chad Taylor
March 27 – Dee Alexander & Miguel de la Cerna
April 3 – Rob Mazurek
April 10 – Darren Johnston with Dave Rempis
April 17 – Ingebrigt Haker Flaten
April 24 – Rumback / Baker / Tate / Ward
May 1 – The Few
May 8 – Jeremiah Cymerman Duo
May 15 – Charmaine Lee w/ Sam Pluta
May 22 – John Sparagana, John Corbett, Ken Vandermark
May 29 – Survival Unit III
June 5 – Andrea Jablonski & Cale Arthur
June 12 – Damon Locks Solo
June 19 –Lou Mallozzi Solo
June 26 – Dave Rempis Solo & Discussion
July 3 – Option BBQ, DJ’d By Ken Vandermark, John Corbett and Tim Daisy
July 10 –Ikue Mori Solo & Discussion
July 17 – Helen Gillet Solo & Discussion
July 24 – Curt Oren Solo, Duo With Ben Lamar Gay
July 31 – Daniel Wyche & Kelley Sheehan
August 7 –Ben Hall Solo
August 14 – Katinka Kleijn
August 21 – Matt Piet & Bill Harris
August 28 – Beth McDonald
September 4 – Katie Ernst
September 11 – Sharif Sehnaoui
September 18 – Ballake Sissoko & Nicole Mitchell
September 25 – Rafael Toral
October 2 – Mats Gustafsson, Antonio Borghini & Tim Daisy
October 9 - Olie Brice w/ Jason Stein & Josh Berman
October 16 - Alan Licht & John McCowen
October 23 - Lea Bertucci & Matchess
October 30 – Michael Vatcher Solo Drum Set
2016
January 11 – Shayne Bowden
January 18 – Elisabeth Harnik / Didi Kern & Tim Daisy
January 25 – Marc Riordan / Julian Kirshner
February 1 – Tar Pet / Michael Zerang
February 8 – Mat Maneri
February 15 – Weston Olencki / Katherine Young
February 22 – Keefe Jackson / Steve Hunt
February 29 – Josh Berman with Joshua Abrams / Aaron Zarzutzki
March 7 – Michael Attias
March 14 – Lia Kohl & Jessica Cornish / Richard Hull
March 21 – Joe Morris
March 28 – Fred Lonberg-Holm
April 4 – Kent Kessler & Jason Stein
April 11 – Jeb Bishop, Hamid Drake & Joshua Abrams
April 18 – Christof Kurzmann
April 25 – Tom Rainey
May 2 – Jim Becker / Joe Adamik
May 9 – Eve Risser / Jason Roebke
May 16 – Paul Giallorenzo with Anton Hatwich & Julian Kirshner
May 23 – Steve Swell / Fred Lonberg-Holm / Michael Zerang
May 30 – Susana Santos Silva / Toby Cederberg / Jim Baker
June 6 – Ben Vida / Jason Adasiewicz
June 13 – Christopher Riggs / Carl Testa
June 20 – Anthony Coleman
June 27 – Invisible Guy
July 11 – Andrew Clinkman / Carol Genetti / Jeff Kimmel
July 18 – Jaimie Branch & Fred Lonberg-Holm / Ben LaMar Gay, Josh Berman
2015
June 1 – Paul Lytton: performance & discussion
June 8 – Johannes Bauer, Jason Adasiewicz, Paul Lytton
June 15 – Jason Roebke, Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Stein
June 22 – The Mars Williams Quartet
June 29 – Ari Brown: performance & discussion
July 6 – Jim Baker/Carol Genetti: solos and duo
July 13 – The Green Pasture Happiness: performance and short films by Jim O’Rourke
July 20 – Tim Barnes: performance and discussion
July 27 – James Falzone/Guillermo Gregorio – solos and duo
August 3 – Nate Wooley: performance & discussion
August 10 – Jen Clare Paulson
August 17 – Dave Rempis/Edward Wilkerson, Jr.: solos and duos
August 24 – Silvia Bolognesi with Avreeayl Ra
August 31 – Jason Adasiewicz, Ron Gordon
September 7 – Paal Nilssen-Love: solo & discussion
September 14 – Jason Wick and Moon Bros
September 21 – Arian S., Ethan T. Parcell & Albert Wildeman
September 28 – Pandelis Karayorgis: solo & discussion
October 5 – Hasco Duo: Amanda DeBoer & Jesse Langen / Ryan Packard
October 12 – Rob Lundberg / Art Union Humanscape Duo: Ayako Kato/Jason Roebke
October 19 – Terrie Ex & Andy Moor: performance & discussion with Ken Vandermark
October 26 – Andrew Drury/Ingrid Laubrock
November 2 – Urs Leimgruber, Jacques Demierre: solos, duo & discussion
November 9 – Jack Wright & Zach Darrup / Ramon Lopez
November 16 – The Russ Johnson Trio
November 23 – Joe McPhee
November 30 - Sylvie Courvoisier: solo & discussion
December 7 – Spencer Yeh
December 14 – Albert Wildeman with Jessica Cornish, Ryan Packard, Dave Rempis
About the CURATORs
Andrew Clinkman - guitarist, improviser and composer, active member of the creative music communities in both Chicago and Boston
Lily Finnegan - Chicago born and based drummer, composer and improviser.
Ken Vandermark - multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer, MacArthur Fellow, organizer of weekly concerts in Chicago at a diverse range of venues starting in the early 1990s
Past Curators:
Tim Daisy (percussionist, improviser, composer and teacher, active participant on the international music scene since the late 1990s)
Tomeka Reid - composer, improviser, cellist, curator, and teacher based in Chicago and California
OPTION BANDCAMP
OPTION AUDIO is a digital album series that highlights key performances from the ongoing Option program of improvised and experimental music. Every Thursday starting September 6, 2018 a completely unique recording from the most significant members of the contemporary music community will be made available to listeners, culled from a catalog of weekly concerts that have been taking place at ESS throughout the majority of each year since June of 2015.
