A new release from Lizard Breath Records is here! Available October 20th!

Dan Phillips Quartet
“Sunstrike"

Dan Phillips’ first Double Drum Quartet is here! The new album features two of Chicago’s finest creative percussionists Tim Daisy and Michael Zerang along with long time musical partner Krzysztof Pabian on Bass.

Sunstrike features the compositions of Dan Phillips and collective improvisations of the Quartet. All the pieces are inspired by and dedicated to the works of Manierre Dawson. Dawson was a pioneering but often under recognized abstract painter from Chicago in the early 20th century.



Dan Phillips is an American guitarist, composer and band leader who has worked professionally in New York, Chicago, Bangkok and Tokyo as well as touring globally. Dan is the leader of the critically acclaimed Chicago Edge Ensemble, Quartet Next, Dan Phillips Trio, Dan Phillips Quartet. Dan has performed with jazz musicians such as Hamid Drake, Gerald Wilson, Danilo Pérez Avreeayl Ra, Michael Zerang, Dave Rempis, Jeb Bishop, Mars Williams, Jim Baker, Ed Thigpen and many more.


Krzysztof Pabian hails from Europe as a classical-trained bassist. He began his music studies at the age of 8 on piano and switched to bass at age 14. Krzysztof moved to the U.S. in 1993 where he studied at Northwestern University to graduate with two Masters degrees in jazz and classical double bass performance. Krzysztof has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Civic Orchestra and worked in an array of ensembles under the direction of Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Christopher Eshenbach, Zubin Mehta, George Solti, Lawrence Foster, and Pinchas Zukerman to name a few. In the area of jazz Krzysztof has performed with Danilo Pérez, Judy Roberts, Eddie Henderson, Max Roach, Ron Blake, Hamid Drake, Mars Williams, Jarek Smietana and the Lincoln Center Jazz Sextet. Krzysztof has toured throughout North America and Europe with various groups and configurations.

Tim Daisy is an American drummer and composer working in the fields of improvised and composed music. Tim moved to Chicago in 1997 and since that time has performed, recorded, and toured with many national and international improvised musicians and ensembles.
Some of the musicians he has performed with inclue Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark,Jeb Bishop, Mars Williams, Steve Swell, Jaimie Branch, Katherine Young, Fred Lonberg-Holm, James Falzone, Russ Johnson, Kyle Bruckmann, Katinka Kleijn, Elizabeth Harnik, Christof Kurzmann, Ikue Mori, Rafael Toral, Mikolaj Trzaska, Per Ake Holmlander, Darren Johnston, Havard Wiik, Jason Stein and Michael Zerang.
In 2011 he received the New Music America Composers Assistance Award and in 2011, 2012 and 2017 the ASCAP Plus Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He has recorded over one hundred and thirty albums as a sideman or leader for labels including Relay, (which he owns and operates), Not Two, Clean Feed, Astral Spirits, Aerophonic, Audiographic, Sonorus, Trost, Utech, New World, and Okka Disk.


MICHAEL ZERANG
Michael Zerang was born in Chicago, Illinois, and is a first-generation American of Assyrian decent. He has been a professional musician, composer, and producer since 1976, focusing extensively on improvised music, free jazz, contemporary composition, puppet theater, experimental theater, and international musical forms.
As a percussionist, composer and collaborator, Zerang has over one hundred titles in his discography and has toured nationally and internationally to 35 countries since 1981, and worked with and ever-widening pool of collaborators, primarily in The United States, Western and Eastern Europe.
Beginning in 2004, Zerang began to work with musicians and artists living in the Middle East. He traveled to perform, hold workshops, and study, to Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
In November, 2007, Zerang played his first concert in Poland. Between 2007 – 2015, he had performed over 100 concerts. Several of these concerts where from existing ensembles that visited Poland, but the majority of the concert were in collaboration with Polish musicians and artists.
Michael founded and was the artistic director of the Link’s Hall Performance Series in Chicago from 1985-1989 where he produced over 300 concerts of jazz, traditional ethnic folk music, electronic music, and other forms of forward thinking music. He was a Board Member of Links Hall from 1989 – 2013. He continued to produce concerts at Cafe Urbus Orbis from 1994-1996, and at his own space, The Candlestick Maker in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, from 2001 – 2005.
Zerang has collaborated extensively with contemporary theater, dance, and other multidisciplinary forms and has received three Joseph Jefferson Awards for Original Music Composition in Theater, in collaboration with Redmoon Theater, in 1996, 1998, and 2000.
Michael has taught as a guest artist at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in performance technique, sound design, and sound/music as it relates to puppetry; rhythmic analysis for dancers at The Dance Center of Columbia College, Northwestern University, and MoMing Dance and Arts Center; courses in Composer/Choreographer Collaborations at Northwestern University; music to children at The Jane Adams Hull House.
Michael currently tours and holds workshops in improvisational music and percussion technique, and teaches private lessons in rhythmic analysis, music composition, and percussion technique.












Awards:


• Chicago Edge Ensembles’ “Decaying Orbit” and “Insidious Anthem”
New York City Jazz Records Honorable Mention for album of the year 2017, 2018
• Dan Phillips Quartet “Converging Tributaries” Avant Music News Best of 2017
Avant Music News Honorable mention 2108
Dan Phillips Hamid Drake “Trail of Inevitability”
Dan Phillips Trio “Divergent Flow”
Chicago Edge Ensemble “Insidious Anthem”
• Chicago Edge Ensembles’ “Decaying Orbit” and Dan Phillips Quartet “Converging Tributaries” Tom Hulls’ Best of 2017 and 2018

What reviewers have said about Dan Phillips’ previous work:

“A strong sense of melody and deft control of his instrument, it seems, is all Phillips' needs to convey his musical ideas……..Phillips has something to say. By the time we get to the penultimate track, 'Shape #24,' things have both changed, and not. Employing overtones and a more percussive impact on the strings, the music is still moving, evolving, and interesting. Apparently the first solo offering from Phillips, and a solid two and a half hours of music.”Review of “Shapes of Things” Freejazzblog 2021

“He’s a surgical technician when he wants to be, paring his notes down to their molecular formulas in “Once a Forested Hill” and “Void Illusion” or he open up the possibilities with some indulgent abandon.” Review of Dan Phillips Trio Sound Energy in Space allaboutjazz.com 2019

“The musicians are demonstrating their own style and sound – they don’t hesitate to take on adventurous and bright improvisations, moody and dynamic twists, passionate blowing that go down to peaceful, sad, light and solemn pieces. The variety of moods and expressions effects an emotional, impressive and dynamic sound that is constantly changing. Review of Dan Phillips Quartet Light at Depth Avantscena 2019

“Insidious Anthem employs a small band sound reflecting the taut arrangements of leader and electric guitarist Dan Phillips, whose skills as a writer rival his improvisational talent. Hard to label.. the small group packs a strong punch” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Insidious Anthem New York City Jazz Record 2019

“The music on this album is filled with surprises and incredible turns., the musical language is rich expressive, vivid and incredible.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Insidious Anthem Avantscena 2018

“The compositions begin with and intricate and complex sonic architecture or quiet, searching textures that highlight the rich palette of the ensemble……Phillips sets the basic theme and the overall atmosphere. Later these parts mature into collective, free jazz improvisations that enjoy the full power and the soulful sound of the ensemble.
Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Insidious Anthem Salt Peanuts 2018

“Dan Phillips’ music is highly variable, constantly changing and dynamic. He masterfully puts together loud, expressive, passionate and vivacious improvisations, turbulent and free solos, subtle, peaceful and soft solos with other elements.” Review of Dan Phillips Trio Divergent Flow Avantscena 2018

“Overall this is highly original music, which offers superb musicality and unique sonic expression both artistic and professional to the core.” Review of Dan Phillips Trio Divergent Flow Polish Blog Spot 2018

“With each release Phillips’ sound continues to mature and expand. What remains unchanged is his imaginative creativity and his restless inventiveness. These and his shared musical vision with his sidemen- accomplished artists in their own right are what make this recording an absorbing musical treat”
Review of Dan Phillips Trio Divergent Flow Chicago Jazz Magazine 2018”

“Chicago Edge Ensemble is an all terrain vehicle, a quintet equally capable of negotiating the bumpy-smooth contours of swinging post bop, the banked hairpin turns of fusion funk, the fog and ether AACM-style intrigue and the tumultuous thicket that awaits if you gleefully careen off the road.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit Jazz Times 2017

“Phillips in particular proves why he’s the most under-appreciated electric guitarist from the Chicago area. There’s no hesitation or sense of compromise on Decaying Orbit. As the band name implies, this is jazz and improvisational material which goes to the edge, stays there and doesn’t retreat.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit Audiophile Magazine

“With it’s palpable personality, rigorous but approachable compositions, and sure footed sense of self, Chicago Edge Ensemble’s Decaying Orbit not only pays homage to the city that Phillips’ loves, but solidly places him on the map as a formidable instrumentalist and composer. It’s a treat to hear him play with such a first rate band of some of Chicago – and the world’s – greatest musicians.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit Broadway World 2017

“Dan Phillips leads a Quintet with a big Chicago sound and memorable compositions.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit The Wire Magazine 2017


“Chicago jazz is the complexity of the postmodern with a predisposition for rump shaking. The Quintet rarely lowers the flame below boiling.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit allaboutjazz 2017

“This is a fine album of interesting themes and powerful performances by the full ensemble and the soloists. Everyone draws deeply from the limitless well of the city’s musical history and creates a bold and thoughtful statement.” Review of Chicago Edge Ensemble Decaying Orbit jazzandbluesbloagspot. 2017

“The Variety of moods, expressions, characters and playing techniques, masterful and organic synthesis of different musical language elements and expressive and extraordinary improvising create innovative sound on this album” Review of Dan Phillips Trio “Divergent Flow” Avantscena 2018