Upcoming Events
BananaAcidSat, Aug 23Narloch Studio- Luke Frees & the Shadowband @ WZRDThu, Sep 04WZRD 88.3
- Treyf @ Montrose SaloonSun, Sep 07Montrose Saloon
- BananaAcid @ Night SchoolFri, Sep 26Nonation
- BananaAcid @ Music in the GardenSat, Nov 01Elastic Arts
- Amos Egleston 4tetThu, Dec 04Elastic Arts
Media
Bearduo
Bearduo is a saxophone duo consisting of Garrett Frees on Tenor Saxophone and Aaron Kaufman-Levine on Alto Saxophone. They met seven years ago at Birch Creek Music Camp, and quickly became close friends. Their friendship and musical collaboration continued to grow as they both served on the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Jazz Links student council. Bearduo's musical journey continued as they both pursued their studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where they developed their deep musical connection playing together daily for four years.
Over the years, they have performed at prestigious venues such as the historic Jordan Hall, Lilypad Inman, MIT’s Killian Hall, Tufts University’s Granoff Music Center, the Worcester, MA radio station WICN, Fulton Street Collective, and the Music in the Garden concert series.
Bearduo brings a unique and spontaneous creation to each performance that reflects their shared musical language and deep connection. Their sound draws on the innovations of Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Ornette Coleman, and Eric Dolphy. Bearduo aims to push the boundaries of the saxophone and free improvisation through the synthesis of different improvisational methodologies. Listen to our debut album, Bearduo, here!
BananaAcid
BananaAcid is an improvising ensemble made up of Aaron Kaufman-Levine, Caroline Jesalva, Erez Dessel, Garrett Frees, and Tyler Wagner. BananaAcid is committed to the practice of spontaneous composition, influenced and shaped by their studies at New England Conservatory of Music. Their unique sonic language synthesizes deep individual studies of various music traditions, including early jazz, free jazz, classical, electro-acoustic, and folk music. Their recording and performance techniques draw on modernist and postmodernist cultural movements, including surrealism and deconstructivism. A creative and adventurous force in the world of the avant-garde, their sound is uncompromising, and their musical approach pushes at the boundaries of free jazz.
Within the last two years, all members have moved to Chicago where they actively perform, record, curate, and present improvised music. Activities include creating and presenting a multidisciplinary music festival featuring all original music by Chicago musicians; curating multiple series’ with visual and experimental video artists; presenting the BananaAcid Fruit Stand Variety Show (an exhibition of visual art and music); and the recording of their first album, Unio Mystica, on cassette tape, self-released on June 22nd, 2025.
Luke Frees -
Tomorrow's Lucid Dream
Throughout 2023, Garrett had the privilege to play on two of his brother’s tracks for his album, “Tomorrow's Lucid Dream” Luke is a singer/songwriter and Berklee College of Music graduate based in Chicago. This was a wonderful collaboration because Luke first introduced Garrett to music.
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