Hamid Drake is an American jazz drummer and percussionist.
Tatsu Aoki is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music, educator and experimental filmmaker. In his career as Chicago's Jazz and creative improvisor, he is mostly known as a long-standing bassist for Fred Anderson and he has also worked with George Freeman, and Von Freeman in the 90s. Aoki also has curious recording projects with Malachi Favors, Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye, Wu Man, and other internationally renowned artists. Aoki also directs cultural events that promote the history of Japanese artistic traditions and contemporary Asian influences in jazz. As the founder and artistic director of Asian Improv Arts Midwest, he hosts events such as the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Japanese American Service Committee's Tsukasa Taiko Legacy arts residency program.
The Velvet Lounge was a nightclub in the South Loop of Chicago. It started as a jazz club and was called the "dusty epicenter of the Midwest's free form jazz scene." It was located at 2128 1/2 S. Indiana Avenue before moving to 67 E. Cermak when the original building was scheduled for demolition. It closed permanently in 2019.
Fred Anderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who was based in Chicago, Illinois. Anderson's playing was rooted in the swing music and hard bop idioms, but he also incorporated innovations from free jazz. Anderson was also noted for having mentored numerous young musicians. Critic Ben Ratliff called him "a father figure of experimental jazz in Chicago". Writer John Corbett referred to him as "scene caretaker, underground booster, indefatigable cultural worker, quiet force for good." In 2001, author John Litweiler called Anderson "the finest tenor saxophonist in free jazz/underground jazz/outside jazz today."
Destiny is an album by American jazz pianist Marilyn Crispell with saxophonist Fred Anderson and drummer Hamid Drake recorded in the 1994 "Women of the New Jazz" festival at Chicago’s HotHouse and released on Okka Disk.
Live at the Velvet Lounge is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson with German free jazz bassist Peter Kowald and long-time collaborator drummer Hamid Drake. The record documents a June 1998 performance at the Chicago club owned by Anderson, the Velvet Lounge, and was released on the Okka Disk label.
Fred Anderson Quartet Volume One is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson which was recorded live during the 1998 season at the Chicago club owned by Anderson, the Velvet Lounge, and released on the Asian Improv label. The Anderson's Quartet features longtime partner trumpeter Bill Brimfield, drummer Chad Taylor and Asian American bassist Tatsu Aoki.
Fred Anderson Quartet Volume Two is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson which was recorded live during the 1999 season at the Chicago club owned by Anderson, the Velvet Lounge, and released on the Asian Improv label. Anderson's Quartet features longtime partner drummer Hamid Drake, guitarist Jeff Parker and Asian American bassist Tatsu Aoki.
On the Run, Live at the Velvet Lounge is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2000 at his Chicago club, the Velvet Lounge, and released on Delmark. He's backed by his regular rhythm section of bassist Tatsu Aoki and drummer Hamid Drake.
Back at the Velvet Lounge is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2002 and released on Delmark. This second installment on Bob Koester's label of live recordings made at Fred's own club, the Velvet Lounge, features the young trumpeter Maurice Brown making his first appearance on CD, Chicago Underground's guitarist Jeff Parker and drummer Chad Taylor, and bassists Tatsu Aoki and Harrison Bankhead.
Timeless, Live at the Velvet Lounge is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2005 and released on Delmark. It was the third live recording on Bob Koester's label made at Fred's own club, the Velvet Lounge, shortly before the original venue's demolition and a month after Anderson was honored at the 2005 Vision Festival. He's backed by long-time associates, bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Hamid Drake. The event was also filmed and issued on DVD.
21st Century Chase is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2009 and released on Delmark. This fourth live recording on Bob Koester's label made at Fred's own club, the Velvet Lounge, documents the finale to a week of concerts honoring Anderson's 80th birthday. He is joined by New Orleans saxophonist Kidd Jordan, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Chad Taylor. The last piece is dedicated to the AACM drummer Alvin Fielder. The event was also filmed and issued on DVD with a bonus track, “Gone But Not Forgotten”, with guess bassist Henry Grimes.
A Night at the Velvet Lounge Made in Chicago 2007 is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson which, despite its title, was recorded live in Poznań, Poland, at the second Made in Chicago Festival, and released by Estrada Poznańska, a small Polish cultural arts agency. Anderson is accompanied by bassist Harrison Bankhead and 8 Bold Souls drummer Dushun Mosley.
Fred Chicago Chamber Music is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson recorded in 1996 and released on the Chicago-based Southport label. The first disc matches him in a trio with bassist Tatsu Aoki and drummer Afifi Phillard, while the second is composed of Anderson/Aoki duets with Southport co-owner Bradley Parker-Sparrow joining in on piano for two tracks.
The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson is an album by American jazz flautist Nicole Mitchell, which was recorded in 2013 and released on the French RogueArt label. It was the second recording by Sonic Projections, a quartet featuring pianist Craig Taborn, saxophonist David Boykin and drummer Chad Taylor. The album title is a tribute to Chicago saxophonist Fred Anderson and his Velvet Lounge club.
Celebrating Fred Anderson is an album by American jazz saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, which was recorded live in 2015 at Chicago's Constellation and released on Nessa. For this tribute to saxophonist Fred Anderson, Mitchell assembled a quartet with cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Junius Paul and drummer Vincent Davis and prepared four original pieces and adaptations of two Fred Anderson compositions, "Bernice" and "Ladies in Love".
Velvet Songs, is a double album by Chicago Trio, a collective jazz group consisting of saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Hamid Drake. It was recorded live in 2008 at the Velvet Lounge, the club owned by saxophonist Fred Anderson, and released on the French RogueArt label.
Chad Taylor is an American drummer, percussionist, and composer. Taylor leads both the Chad Taylor Trio with Brian Settles and Neil Podgurski and Circle Down with Angelica Sanchez and Chris Lightcap. He is a founding member of the Chicago Underground along with Jeff Parker and Rob Mazurek.
A Symphony of Cities is an album by percussionist Famoudou Don Moye and bassist Tatsu Aoki. It was recorded in 2000 at Sparrow Sound Design in Chicago, Illinois, and was released on CD in 2002 by Southport Records. On the album, Moye and Aoki are joined by saxophonist Francis Wong and flutist Joel Brandon.
Birthday Live 2000 is a live album by saxophonist Fred Anderson. It was recorded at the Velvet Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, on March 22 and 25, 2000, and was released in 2009 by Asian Improv Records as a limited edition "official bootleg." On the album, Anderson is joined by bassist Tatsu Aoki and drummer Chad Taylor.
