Keefe Jackson brings nearly 30 years of experience as a central figure in Chicago’s creative music scene and has recorded multiple albums for Delmark Records, alongside extensive work with artists including Jason Adasiewicz, Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, and Greg Ward. Stinger has received strong critical response, with All About Jazz praising the trio’s fluency and collective language, The Free Jazz Collective calling the album “glorious stuff” and placing Jackson firmly in the loft-era aesthetic tradition, and Dusted Magazine highlighting the our emotionally compelling, nimble interplay. “Stinger marks the debut release from the trio of saxophonist Keefe Jackson, bassist Jakob Heinemann and drummer Adam Shead. Yet, from the cohesion and interplay captured on this recording, it is clear these three musicians have collaborated extensively. The group exemplifies the Chicago ethos of collective creation—both in compositional approach and improvisational execution. Jackson and Heinemann each contribute three compositions, while Shead handles the sound mixing, graphic design, and overall production, underscoring the project's collaborative spirit. Jackson has been a cornerstone of Chicago's creative music scene for over two decades. His distinctive voice is heard in ensembles like J@K@L, the Urge Trio, and The Slow Bell Trio, as well as in projects led by Greg Ward, Jason Adasiewicz and Jason Stein. Shead anchors another trio with Stein and Damon Smith and performs in the forward-leaning quartet Microplastique. Heinemann, meanwhile, gained recent acclaim for his work on Horizon Scanners (Clean Feed, 2024), alongside Jim Baker and Steve Hunt. That cooperative energy permeates Stinger, recorded live at two of Chicago's creative hubs, the Hungry Brain and Constellation. The music often embraces a follow-and-chase dynamic, as showcased on the title track, which begins with a tight, composed theme before Jackson's tenor saxophone takes flight. Heinemann and Shead respond in kind, their improvisational pursuit choreographed to suggest chaos, only to converge in striking unison. “Mark Corroto, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
