Heaven Gallery

The Chicago Bass Ensemble, four contrabassists dedicated to exploring the repertoire for this unusual chamber ensemble, will perform at Heaven Gallery on December 15. The concert will include:

* "The Open Sea" by Chicago bassist and member of the group Doug Johnson
* Quartets #1 and #2 by bassist Jan Alm
* "Bass quartet: 1987" by bassist and New Orleans resident David Anderson
* "Sawtooth Hammer" by Chicago composer Seth Boustead
* "Six Chansons" by Paul Hindemith
and more.

The Chicago Bass Ensemble is all about bass. Whether you call it contrabass, bass fiddle, doghouse bass, upright bass or king of the instruments, four basses together is an unusual and intriguing sound, and this group is dedicated to exploring that sound and bringing the bass to the front. Doug Johnson, John Floeter, Michael Hovnanian and Jacque Harper are all respected performers in Chicago, and together they present a concert that features new compositions and arrangements for bass quartet, by composers both living and local. Writing about a November 2007 performance of the Chicago Bass Ensemble, blogger Jason Heath said "...this is what music really should be. Anyone who thinks that classical music is “dying” needs to come and see the next Chicago Bass Ensemble performance."