Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

About this event

Music / Jazz / Jazz. Starts 8:00 PM. After thirty-five years of being at the forefront of the ever-evolving musical landscape of New Orleans, Grammy Award winner Jon Cleary decided to bring that sound back home, both figuratively and literally. He assembled his Absolute Monster Gentlemen (his acclaimed all-star big band) in his home studio in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, drew up a setlist of some of his most beloved songs and some new favorites and rolled tape.We set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way: everybody in the room, playing together, Cleary explains.The result is The Bywater Sessions, a musical tour-de-force that showcases the grit, funk and joy thats packed concert halls from New Orleans to Tokyo and beyond. Co-produced by Cleary and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Taj Mahal), its a stunning collection of performances that affirms Clearys place in the New Orleans musical vanguard.Theres a lot to be said for the lean and mean sound of a piano trio, stripped down to basics, simple and direct, Cleary says. But recently, Ive been experimenting with different combinations; adding horns, guitar, percussion and even another keyboard player. This expanded line-up has allowed the arrangements to blossom in new directions.As for the musicians, its the best of the best. Long time Monster Gentlemen Cornell Williams and A.J. Hall anchor the band on bass and drums, respectively. They are joined by Nigel Hall (Lettuce) on Hammond organ, Pedro Segundo (Ronnie Scotts All Stars) on percussion, Xavier Lynn (MonoNeon, Ledisi) on guitar, and an all-star horn section of Aaron Narcisse (Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra), Charlie Halloran (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Preservation Hall All Stars) and Jason Mingledorff (Galactic).Sophisticated, nasty, good-time, low-down funk is the folk music of New Orleans, Cleary says. Everyone playing on this recording is a New Orleanian by birth or by choice, having learned their craft at the feet of the

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen is a music event at SPACE in the Chicago area, scheduled on Friday, November 6, 2026. Event Beast lists it with the date, venue and a link to the official page so you can decide whether it belongs in your plans.

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Event facts

Event

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Date

Friday, November 6, 2026

Venue

SPACE

Area

Chicago

Category

Music

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