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Shawn Maxwell
Pete Miller's
September 10th 2010
1557 Sherman Ave
Evanston, Ill
Cost: $FREE
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lePercolateur - hipster gypsy jazz
Salt Creek Wine Bar
September 10th 2010
Brookfield, Ill
Cost: $FREE
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Stacy McMichael
Salt Creek Wine Bar
September 10th 2010
Brookfield, Ill
Cost: $FREE
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Ava Logan
94 West Restaurant
September 10th 2010
15410 94th Ave.
Orland Park, Ill 60467
Cost: $no Charge
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Is It Q2Nite Yet?
Is It Q2Nite Yet?
Date Posted: July 25 2010
Written By: Randy Freedman
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Is It Q2Nite Yet?
by Randy Freedman
Against the dark backdrop of changing musical tastes and challenging economic times, the opening of a new jazz venue shines as brightly as a spotlight and calls for the attention of all Chicago jazz fans. Perhaps this anticipation is even greater when the venue is located in a historic small hotel, the Homestead, in suburban Evanston (1625 Hinman Avenue), which is already home to the highly regarded Quince restaurant.
Beginning in April 2010 the new Q2 cocktail lounge across the hall from Quince has been home to live jazz as performed by jazz duos on the first and third Thursdays of the month in a series named Q2Nite. Admission is free and performances consist of two sets at 7:30 and 8:45 pm. Reservations are not taken, so arriving a little early is the only way to insure the best seating. On the evening of May 20 this was my destination to hear the duo of guitarist John Moulder and bass player Kelly Sill.
There is street parking around the Homestead, but it can be a bit challenging not only to find a space, but to figure out if you can legally park there. Some spaces had as many as four different and separate parking signs, each spelling out different restrictions. With some difficulty I was able to park on the street very near the hotel. There is also available valet parking, a municipal lot about a block away, and metered parking on Davis Street a half block south.
The white pillared front of the Homestead faces west onto Hinman Avenue and featured a newly planted garden and a large cozy-looking porch with bench seating. The entrance to Q2 is just to your left as you come into the hotel and Quince is to your right. Q2 has no stage, but the area designated for the musicians is just to the left of a couple of carpeted steps you walk down as you enter. There is a small rectangular bar along the right wall with its own stools.
The walls are covered with white wood paneling accented by dark brown panels on three sides. Lighting is furnished by wall mounted electric candelabras as well as natural lighting from three half-glass doors facing the street along the left wall. Seating is at small, round dark wood tables with several styles of padded chairs, or at the bar. There is no permanent sound system, but audience members can hear well from anywhere in the room. The overall effect is like being in the den or study of a large comfortable house.
Hungry Q2Nite patrons can choose between ordering food from the small but eclectic bar menu or from the full Quince menu. I ordered GrilledTravesio & Frisee (a somewhat bitter lettuce often served cooked, as it was here) quail/egg, bacon, pretzel, and cherries. It was offered with a sweet, smoky vinaigrette that seemed to pick up the flavors from the bacon and cherries and lent the dish delicious flavor. The pretzel pieces were intended (I believe) to provide some contrast in texture but might have been a little too hard. Warm Chicken Spring Rolls contained a savory blend of mint, black truffle, avocado and were topped with a chopped cucumber garnish. Slightly crispy on the outside and slightly spicy inside, these are a real taste treat.
With the outstanding Grammy winning composer and musician Steve Rashid managing, booking, and hosting the music components, Q2Nite has already been graced by outstanding jazz performers, and the night of my visit was no exception, with the duo of guitarist John Moulder and upright acoustic bass player Kelly Sill.
Moulder and Sill began to play a few minutes later than the scheduled 7:30 pm start time, and the small room was full by then. Both musicians are long time fixtures on the Chicago jazz scene and seemed to enjoy playing together. Sill insisted that they had no rehearsal for this performance, but the easy musical interaction the duo immediately fell into seemed to dispute that fact.
Musical highlights included “Triste” (Jobim), in which Moulder showed off a variety of musical textures as he created a moody atmosphere while Sill maintained the Brazilian flavor with his rhythm making. On “Straight, No Chaser” (Monk) Moulder demonstrated his ability to utilize a dynamic range, a skill too seldom exercised by guitarists. An extended bass introduction by Sill set the stage for Moulder’s musical entrance to “Footprints” (Shorter) and received much spontaneous applause from the appreciative audience, who seemed to understand the terrific musical synergy they were hearing.
Possessing a great small room, comfortable seating, many tasty food choices, no admission fee, and a musical line-up including many of Chicago’s finest Jazz musicians, Q2Nite may be well on its way to becoming a Chicago tradition that will have all of us asking, “Is it Q2Nite yet?”
For more information contact quincerestaurant.net,
Chicago freelance writer Randy Freedman is a jazz connoisseur, photographer, food critic, humorist, and devoted music fan. He is a regular contributor to Chicago Jazz Magazine.
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