BLACK DIAMOND

BLUESTEM JAZZ PRESENTATION

Artie Black - saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet Hunter Diamond - saxophone, flute Matt Ulery - bass Neil Hemphill - drums

Black Diamond thrives on the chemistry and compositions of saxophonists Artie Black and Hunter Diamond. The two met in Indiana in 2010 and quickly found that their sounds and approaches formed a striking complement. Eventually settling in Chicago, Black and Diamond added bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Neil Hemphill to finalize a working band that has since released 4 recordings as a group. 2017's Mandala (Shifting Paradigm Records) was listed as a Downbeat Magazine editor's pick. Recorded live at the Whistler in Chicago, Chant (Shifting Paradigm) was celebrated with a performance at the Chicago Jazz Festival, and a tour of the Pacific Northwest. 2020s A Held Space (Woolgathering Records) features Black and Diamond in duo formation, layering and collaging improvised pieces to form a larger work inspired by the deep tradition of improvised music in Chicago. In a review, Jazz Journal UK wrote that "albums that either encourage or enhance reflection are few and far between these days, but this isn’t the only reason why this one stands out in the crowd." 2024 marked the release of Black Diamond's newest work Furniture of the Mind Rearranging (We Jazz Records). This double LP features the quartet sides and a fourth side of striking improvisations by Black and Diamond. The release was accompanied by a Midwest tour of the US and 10 days of performances in France and Finland, culminating with a quartet show at the We Jazz Festival in Helsinki. 

Artie Black is a saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and educator based in Chicago. He co-leads the group Black Diamond, an ensemble that has been actively performing and touring since 2012. Artie can also be heard in groups led by drummer Gustavo Cortiñas, bassist Matt Ulery, trumpeter Alexander Massa, guitarist Jeff Swanson, drummer Greg Artry, and many others in Chicago’s creative music scene. His newest projects are a collaborative trio with bassist / vocalist Katie Ernst and guitarist Matt Gold; and solo explorations for winds and keyboard instruments.

Hunter Diamond is a creative woodwind and sound artist living and performing in Chicago. Though he is most at home in the improvised music scene, a mixture of conceptual, composed, and improvised performance keeps him perpetually present in the interdisciplinary Chicago creative arts community. Diamond founded Curio Records in 2021 to serve as a home for his continually developing projects. Flesh and Fruit is his latest release-- a captivating duo with sound artist Allen Moore.

Chicago based bassist/composer and bandleader, Matt Ulery, has developed an instantly recognizable sound. Known for his sweeping lyricism, unconventional phrase structures, expressionistic emotionalism, Ulery’s music, from small, diverse chamber ensembles to full orchestras, is informed by the entire spectrum of jazz, classical, rock, pop, and folk– specifically American, South American, Balkan, and other European folk styles. He has been performing for 25 years on upright, electric, and brass basses. For over two decades, Ulery has been the leader of his own groups and frequent collaborator. Ulery has produced and released 15 critically acclaimed albums of all original music under his name including with his latest, 11-piece mixed chamber jazz ensemble, Mannerist, from May 2023.  In 2014, Matt Ulery’s Loom performed on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series and was featured in Vanity Fair Magazine in a “rising jazz stars” feature article.   

Drummer Neil Hemphill has established himself as one of the most in-demand drummers in Chicago and beyond. Originally from Colorado Springs, CO, he appears regularly with bassist Dennis Carrol, legendary Chicago group Sabertooth, guitarist Bobby Broom, and many others.

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