Home » Jazz Musicians » Paul Bedal

Paul Bedal

Chicago-based pianist and composer Paul Bedal has developed a recognizable sound both as a band leader and a sideman. Earning his Bachelor of Music in Studio Music and Jazz Performance at the University of Miami and his MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College, Paul stays active writing for his own projects, as well as contributing his pianistic efforts to various ensembles in the Midwest. Paul is an "Ears and Eyes" and "CAM JAZZ” recording artist, with his debut record “Chatter” being released in 2014. NYC Jazz Record music critic Ken Micallef writes, “Chatter is also a study in fascinating repetition: melodic and rhythm motifs are introduced and subtly altered as the soloists pursue counterpoint. It’s a cerebral work and the compositions and soloing throughout are superb.” Currently Paul is releasing his second record as a leader entitled "Mirrors" which will be available on Bace Records April 13th. Paul has received recognition from Chicago's "Luminarts Cultural Foundation", receiving top prize in the 2015 composition contest and placing in the 2014 improv competition. Paul has also composed music for recent films including Ian Martin's feature film "Cooke Concrete", and Lauren Bedal's short film "Airplay", which was recently nominated to the 2017 San Francisco Dance Festival.

Tags

4
Album Review

Matt Ulery: Mannerist

Read "Mannerist" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


There is a lilting magic to the music of Mannerist that is hard to deny or find fault with. The “Bridge" starts and the whole day changes, eliciting, perhaps, a feeling of being lighter on the feet, lighter in spirit and, most importantly, lighter in the head. Suddenly all the information they want you to swallow goes away and its just you and the music. It is a beautiful thing. It is something bassist/composer/bandleader Matt Ulery sets out to do ...

2
Album Review

Amos Gillespie: Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet

Read "Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


The premise of this interesting recording may well be summarized in the old Roman proverb, “Make haste, but slowly." Amos Gillespie is a Chicago-based composer and instrumentalist who has composed a nine-part jazz suite for a septet. In his own words, Unstructured Time is “about capturing childhood focus, creativity and peace through unstructured time." The title is a bit deceptive. While there may be a variety of meters that frame the improvised solos, the recording is in no way formless. ...

6
Album Review

Matt Ulery's Delicate Charms: Live at the Green Mill

Read "Live at the Green Mill" reviewed by Troy Dostert


One of the central figures of Chicago's thriving jazz scene, bassist Matt Ulery has cultivated fruitful relationships with a core of compatriots who embody the grit and beauty of the music coming out of the Windy City. He maintains a host of projects, one of the foremost being Delicate Charms, a group that released its self-titled debut in 2019 on Woolgathering Records; alto saxophonist Greg Ward, pianist Rob Clearfield, drummer Quin Kirchner and violinist Zach Brock assist Ulery in creating ...

26
Album Review

Amos Gillespie: Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet

Read "Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Chicago-based composer/educator/alto saxophonist Amos Gillespie's CD, Unstructured Time, employs a variety of time signatures but is anything but unstructured--in fact, the opposite may reasonably be opined, as taut structure is clearly front and center on the album's four instrumental and five vocal numbers. In other words, “unstructured" in Gillespie's lexicon bears absolutely no resemblance to “free" jazz but refers instead to the struggle to find structure and balance in an environment wherein one is constantly bombarded with negative messages and ...

8
Album Review

Matt Ulery: Pollinator

Read "Pollinator" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


What a wonderful lift to an otherwise dismal year is Pollinator, Chicago based bassist Matt Ulery's unabashed revelry in swing jazz circa King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. Add a few pops, skips and other random surface noises to the sound of these eight unbridled, hothouse Ulery compositions and you'd swear you were sitting in and listening to the real thing. Because Pollinator sure sounds like your grandad's 78s. Those mysteriously heavy, black platters that set you on this beautiful ...

Read more articles

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Mannerist

Woolgathering Records
2023

buy

Live at the Green Mill

Woolgathering Records
2021

buy

Pollinator

Woolgathering Records
2020

buy

Ivy

Bace Records
2020

buy

Fathoms

Bace Records
2020

buy

Mirrors

From: Mirrors
By Paul Bedal

Glendale

From: Mirrors
By Paul Bedal

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.