Jam Session!

For ages 3 years old to 95 years young.

This monthly jam session is for the student, the teacher, and the professional. Whether you know a lot or know a little, The Session is for you.

The monthly jam will take place monthly on Saturdays at 12pm. Each jam will be hosted by professional musicians. Food, fun, and family included at no cost.

Michael Salter:

Known for his unique musical voice, Michael Salter (b.1979, Chicago) is constantly creating beautiful, genre-defying music. Since graduating from Northern Illinois University, he has performed in a wide range of musical settings such as latin music, classical, modern jazz and R&B at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Center, and The Chicago Jazz Festival with international performances at The Montreux Jazz Festival,The Vienne Jazz Festival, and The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Since beginning his musical studies at the age of 10, Michael has studied with a long list of great musicians. He began his bass clarinet studies under mentor Dr. Gregory Barrett (Northern Illinois University) and continued his studies with Lawrie Bloom of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Michael’s saxophone studies were with jazz icons, David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon and Roscoe Mitchell. As an active recording musician, Michael was nominated for a Grammy award for a salsa big band recording with Angel Melendez and the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Since July 2008, Michael has been a member of Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, playing bass clarinet and tenor saxophone and continues to have a busy performing and recording schedule with them. The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s latest CD, ‘Havana Blue’, was listed as one of the best CD’s of 2016 by Downbeat Magazine. He has also performed with The Chicago Sinfonietta, the AACM and with musicians such as Danilo Perez, Ari Brown, Clark Terry and Lincoln Center Orchestra’s Victor Goines. In addition to his performances as a musician, Michael is also a prolific composer. His music incorporates elements from both his classical and jazz training with compositions that range from jazz trios to full orchestral suites. He leads his own group, Freakjar, is a member of many other groups as a side-man and has recently become a Red Bull Studios recording artist. Michael has also been commissioned to compose pieces for professional orchestras such as Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino in Torino, Italy. Due to the positive and long lasting impact his mentors have had on him, Michael is also a passionate and dedicated educator. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Elgin Community College, and as Artist-In-Residence at UNICACH (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas) located in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. He is also a Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Teaching Artist, which allows musicians from the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic to work directly with youth from the Chicago Public Schools throughout the year.