Aaron Brenton is a Chicago bassist, educator, and composer hailing from Madison, WI. With a degree in Double Bass Performance from the Lawrence University Conservatory, Aaron takes pages from the books of Eddie Gomez, Scott LaFaro, Rufus Reid, and Christian McBride to craft saxophone-like improvisations and contrapuntal bass lines. A new figure in the Chicago music scene, Aaron embraces bass in all mediums, having played with Jonathan Blake, Ike Sturm, The Harmon Brothers, Taiwanese jazz pianist Sopon Suwannakit, Grateful dead-esque jam band The Jeremiah Jams Band, reggae funk group Luma Knotty. When not performing,\ Aaron composes for his quartet and for Solar Sails, a collective jazz fusion trio with fellow Lawrence grads. Excited to play at the Tack Room!
Chicago-based guitarist and composer Jack Macklin is a rising star in the modern jazz music scene. Macklin's love for the guitar began at an early age starting with the first song he learned how to play; "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osborne. This sparked a life-long pursuit for Macklin to explore and discover the impact of music on humanity.
Macklin's music is deeply inspired by improvisation and the lineage of master musicians who came before while exploring the boundaries of modern music. Macklin blurs the lines of what a genre can be. Macklin now resides in Chicago, Illinois where he continually interacts with Chicago's best musicians and is invested in the community. Macklin is continuing to compose and perform regularly in Chicago and beyond.
Macklin is known throughout the community as a young lion and has already performed with many notable musicians at the age of 25 including; Matt Ulery, Greg Ward, Joel Frahm, Donny McCaslin, Marcus Finnie, Dave Douglas, Don Aliquo, Bruce Foreman, and many others. Macklin has been a part of many successful projects including the notable "Red Door Band" which was featured in news articles by Chicago Read and WGN. The band also released an EP in the summer of 2020, which features Macklin as a co-leader in the group.
Macklin is invested in his trio which released its debut EP entitled One that's on all streaming services and for sale on his website. His experience working with admired musicians from many different traditions has made him an interactive, and versatile musician who is finding his distinct musical voice.
Macklin returned to Chicago after two years of performing full-time in Nashville, TN. Macklin declared that spending his time on creative and improvised music is what he wants to accomplish. Macklin's goal is to create a band that goes above and beyond genres to connect with the audience personally and to have a compelling experience that leaves the listener wanting more.