Jaap Blonk

Experimental Sound Studio and Intuit Gallery (two shows); Sat 10There is an inherent populism to the human voice that possibly keeps it from a larger role in the supposedly all-inclusive free improv scene in Chicago. After all, if anyone can sing, how can we ferret out the so-called serious musicians from the ones who just want to be Kelly Clarkson in the shower? People like Chicago vocal gymnast Carol Genetti are notable exceptions to the alarming void of vocal artists at work, but perhaps the much-needed jolt will arrive this weekend when the world's premier vocal artist, the Netherlands' Jaap Blonk, arrives in town.

One of the most tickling elements in hearing Blonk perform is how vastly different his sounds are from typical Western-style singing. He can calmly speak in Dutch (strange enough to English ears), gaggle and skronk, emulate refrigerators, cars, steaming pipes and motherboards, and he is not shy about contorting his face to get the right sound. But instead of coming off like sound-effects machine Michael Winslow in Police Academy, Blonk is a musician foremost—his collaborations are always charged and dynamic and thrive on his interpretive/listening skills as much as his unique instrument.

Blonk's main focus during his stay will be on Friday and Sunday with The Beckett Project, a multidisciplinary exploration of the work of the existentialist author Samuel Beckett, in which he'll join local reedman Ken Vandermark and Swedish choreographer Lotta Melin, with stage sets designed by local painter Richard Hull and poster artist Dan Grzeca. A solo performance at Intuit and a workshop at ESS, both on Saturday, should be revelatory for those needing further background on how the man has built a career on an instrument that everyone supposedly has.—Matthew Lurie