Mike Reed's Sights & Sounds

Mike Reed (b. Bielefeld, Germany May 26, 1974) is a musician, composer, bandleader and arts presenter based in Chicago. Over the last two decades he has emerged as a dominant force within Chicago’s diverse artistic community, both through the music he makes and the live events he produces. In addition to leading three working bands, all rooted deeply in jazz and improvised music, he’s founding director of the Pitchfork Music Festival, the current programming chair of the Chicago Jazz Festival, and the owner and director of the acclaimed performing arts venue called Constellation. He is a devoted cultural advocate committed to providing platforms for artistic expression unhindered by commercial pressures. He leads the bands People, Places & Things, Living by Lanterns (an octet that includes guitarist Mary Halvorson, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock), and Loose Assembly. He also forged collaborative relationships with legendary musicians such as reedist Roscoe Mitchell and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. He’s a member of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), where he served as vice-chairperson between 2009-2011. Downbeat Magazine has recognized reed as Jazz Artist, Rising Star in its 2009 Critics Poll, and one of the 80 Best Things About Jazz in its 80th Anniversary issue. In 2010 The Chicago Tribune named Reed as one of its Chicagoan's of the year and in 2014 Chicago Magazine cited him as the 94th most powerful and influential people in the city. He was recruited to be part of the City of Chicago’s Cultural Advisory Council by Cultural Affairs commissioner Michelle Boone. Reed has quickly established his performance space Constellation as a hothouse for jazz, improvised, experimental, and contemporary classical music. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune has called it, “one of the most important rooms in the city,” and in its first year in business the Chicago Reader named the space the Best New Music Venue. Information concerning Chicago based drummer, composer and cultural organizer. This page is maintained by many of the participants of the different ensembles Reed leads and participates in.