Chris Madsen concerts

About Chris Madsen

Chris Madsen is a Chicago-based jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator whose work moves between straight-ahead repertoire, arranged songbooks, original quartet writing, and a chordless trio. The specific draw is his long-running connection to the city’s working-jazz circuit: after relocating to Chicago in 2006, he built a leader catalog alongside regular appearances at the Jazz Showcase, Green Mill, and Andy’s Jazz Club. His current trio record, Threefold, places him with bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall on music written for that exact lineup.

A Chicago Working Musician’s Route

Madsen’s story is a leader’s career, centered on studies and professional networks in Chicago and New York. He earned a Jazz Studies degree at DePaul, entered Juilliard in 2003, spent three years performing and writing in New York, then settled in Chicago in 2006. The available official catalog begins with Hidden, released in 2005, a point before his durable Chicago residency. His earliest releases establish a musician moving through small-group jazz history and original work, with saxophone remaining the fixed center.

From Repertoire to Original Trio Music

Hidden (2005, independently presented through Madsen’s catalog) is the earliest leader release listed on his official music page. Chris Madsen Trio Plays Bix Beiderbecke (2011, independently presented) followed, making his engagement with early-jazz repertoire explicit. Pop Art (2012, independently presented) arrived next. Those records map a practical early period: material, arranging, and ensemble identity took precedence in the public catalog, leading to later projects with sharper conceptual frames. Madsen’s official biography counts five leader albums from 2004 onward, while the catalog preserves these three early markers with their release years.

From Repertoire to Original Trio Music

Kings of the Lobby (2017, independently presented) shifted the format toward horn-led jazz-funk. Madsen founded the outfit in 2015; its debut draws on his arrangements of pop, rock, and R&B songs from the 1970s through the 1990s. Bonfire (2019, Outside in Music) returned to a Chicago quartet: Madsen wrote all eight pieces for Dana Hall, Stu Mindeman, and Clark Sommers. A review described improvisation and interplay as core to the record, while “Bonfire” opens in 9/8. The Trio Book (2023, independently presented) brought Sommers and Hall into a chordless setting for covers by composers including Steve Swallow, Wes Montgomery, and Freddie Hubbard. Threefold (2026, Calligram Records) advances that unit into original music: Madsen and Sommers each supplied half the material, written specifically for the trio.

The Players Around Him

Madsen’s projects repeatedly connect him with Chicago players who carry both recording and stage experience. Sommers and Hall form the rhythm section on The Trio Book and Threefold; Mindeman joined them on Bonfire. The Chris Madsen/Adam Larson Band, documented at Fulton Street Collective in 2022, paired the two tenor saxophonists with guitarist Scott Hesse, Sommers, and drummer John Kizilarmut. Beyond his own groups, MusicBrainz credits Madsen on clarinet and tenor saxophone on Joe Clark Big Band’s 2024 album Black and Cardinal, recorded in Chicago.

What the Local Record Says About the Show

The evidence points to a flexible small-ensemble live practice, shaped by the particular project on the bill. Madsen’s official biography names the Jazz Showcase, Green Mill, and Andy’s Jazz Club as recurring Chicago rooms. At Fulton Street Collective on December 4, 2022, the Madsen/Larson band played two sets of original compositions with a five-piece lineup, and the event also ran as a free livestream. For the current Andy’s engagement, expect a club built around scheduled sets: the venue lists performances at 6 p.m., 8:15 p.m., and 10:30 p.m., with reservations assigned to one show. That structure suits a listener seeking a close-range set by musicians with long-standing local ties.

On Deck in August

Threefold is Madsen’s newest documented leader release: a 2026 Calligram album that gives the Sommers-Hall trio a fully original book. Chicago remains the immediate focus. CrowdMate lists Chris Madsen at Andy’s Jazz Club on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, and Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Andy’s sits at 11 East Hubbard Street and runs multiple evening sets, so buyers should check the selected performance time when reserving. These dates place the newest trio work inside the same club circuit that has anchored Madsen’s Chicago career.

Sources

1. About Chris Madsen — Chris Madsen
2. Music — Chris Madsen
3. Jazz Review: Chris Madsen, “Threefold” — Chicago Jazz
4. Jazz Recap: Chris Madsen/Adam Larson Band at Fulton Street Collective — Chicago Jazz
5. Chris Madsen Bonfire — Making A Scene!
6. Black and Cardinal — MusicBrainz
7. Chris Madsen on Bandcamp — Bandcamp
8. Andy's Jazz Club — Andy's Jazz Club