.webp)
Stein / Smith / Shead Trio is a long-standing working ensemble featuring Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Damon Smith (double bass), and Adam Shead (drums). The trio is dedicated to extended collective improvisation, long-form development, and a deep commitment to listening, allowing form and structure to emerge organically through duration, density, and group decision-making. Their work has been featured in The Wire, Point of Departure, Free Jazz Collective, All About Jazz, The Chicago Reader, and The New York City Jazz Record.
Across four albums, the trio has developed a sustained practice rooted in continuity rather than isolated projects, cultivating a shared language that privileges risk, restraint, and structural clarity. This approach is especially evident in their ongoing collaboration with NEA Jazz Master Marilyn Crispell, which has resulted in two acclaimed recordings. The trio has also worked with Roscoe Mitchell, situating their work within a lineage closely connected to the Midwest’s history of creative music while maintaining a distinctly contemporary voice.
At the center of the ensemble’s sound is Jason Stein’s bass clarinet, marked by physical engagement with the instrument, an expanded timbral palette, and the ability to sustain narrative over extended durations. Damon Smith and Adam Shead complete the trio with a rhythm section defined by elasticity, precision, and acute responsiveness to subtle shifts in time, texture, and density. Together, the Stein / Smith / Shead Trio creates music that reflects a commitment to exploratory practice, lineage-aware experimentation, and artist-driven music-making.
Also on the bill:
Davis/Graham/Harshbarger/Pischnotte/Tervort -
Members of the KC & Lawrence Jazz and improvised music communities
Seth Andrew Davis - guitar
Jackson Graham - vibraphone
Jeff Harshbarger - double bass
Zak Pischnotte - woodwinds
Ben Tervort - electric bass
Shante Clair & Kelley Gant -
Shante Clair - guitar & objects
Kelley Gant - voice & electronics