Gig Alert: Chicago Underground Duo

Chicago Underground Duo
“Spy On the Floor”
Playing at: Issue Project Room (232 3rd St., Gowanus, Brooklyn)
Get: Tickets | Directions

In the twenty-first Century, the word “jazz” often describes an approach to music, not just a genre of music. The Chicago Underground Duo, composed of cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer/vibraphonist/mbira-ist Chad Taylor, fits this new definition of jazz. The group freely wanders into foreign musical territories--from indie-rock to traditional African--while keeping the focus on live performance and improvisation. “Spy on the Floor” begins with a slinky groove worthy of any '60s-era secret agent flick. Soon, Taylor enters with a bouncy Afro-Brazilian feel on the snare, and Mazurek adds commentary with his distant-sounding cornet.