The City Was Yellow: The Chicago Suite is Mike Reed’s current investigation into the sounds of Chicago’s jazz and improvised music history. Fueled by a USA Artist Fellowship, Reed and team have been at work collecting and transcribing music to be presented in a forthcoming “real book,” Chicago Jazz and Improvised Music from 1980-2010. The performance will feature arrangements by stalwarts such as Ari Brown, Ed Wilkerson, Jeff Parker, Rob Mazurek, Fred Anderson, and others.

Says Reed: “It’s a way of recognizing our musical moments and celebrating the regional voice and approaches that could only come from Chicago.”