Mike Reed's Loose Assembly

Umbrella Music cofounder, Pitchfork Music Festival director, AACM vice chairman, Chicago Jazz Fest programmer—Mike Reed’s a force in the local music scene. The mover and shaker commands attention as a drummer as well. To celebrate his band Loose Assembly’s latest, he’s snagged one of Chicago’s premier venues, Pritzker Pavilion, at a time of year when the mere thought of an outdoor concert sends shivers down the spine. Not to worry. Concertgoers have a rare opportunity to sit on the stage, with its glass curtains drawn, giving the audience the same view enjoyed by the many marquee names who’ve graced Frank Gehry’s bandshell.

It speaks to Reed’s growing clout, not to mention his moxie, that he’s roped in Roscoe Mitchell, who first worked with the band a year ago at the Hideout. The resulting Empathetic Parts finds Reed wading deeper into free-jazz terrain, anchored by his concept of “collective arranging” wherein each of Loose Assembly’s members—alto saxist Greg Ward, cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Joshua Abrams and vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz—and guest Mitchell are free to take the improvisation in the direction of his or her choosing, using a color-coded system to communicate.

Compared to Reed’s other band, the reverential People, Places & Things, this project represents a giant leap into the unknown. It’s also a testament to his fearless ambition, expanding vision and countless hours logged on the bandstand as a leader and sideman. It’s fitting that Empathetic Parts’ title track is revisited here as part of the AACM’s 45th anniversary festival. Occasionally taut yet more often untamed, the work’s spontaneity is deeply indebted to the open-minded ideals prized by the South Side org.

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