The Whistler’s Relax Attack Jazz Series is pleased to announce a month-long residency featuring Bootstrap, a new group led by drummer Frank Rosaly.  Every Tuesday night in June, Rosaly will be joined by Mars Williams (sax), Jim Baker (piano, synthesizer) and Nate McBride (bass), playing material based on anthems and music of rebellion, from Andres Jimenez to Max Roach.  Rosaly describes the inception of the project as an attempt to connect improvisational strategies of the Chicago avant scene with melodies and rhythms abstracted from Puerto Rican traditions:
 
“Over the last several years, i have been studying bomba and plena music of puerto rico as a means to further connect with my heritage. after the conception of another group of mine which focuses on integrating my experiences as an improvising experimental musician with the traditions of bomba, plena, jibaro and seis called ¡todos de pie! (everybody stand up!), i had compiled a lot of transcribed music from the island. Bootstrap is a smaller group, and that will allow us to explore some of these melodies, rhythms and song forms (which i have abstracted) in a free-jazz informed setting. Using these melodies/anthems as springboards for improvisations, these anthems also help regroup for the next improvisation.  Though much of the tunes are original compositions, the themes and anthems act as connective tissue throughout a set.”
 
Rosaly’s stint with Bootstrap continues The Whistler’s residency program—which has included groups led by Rob Mazurek, Josh Berman, and Jason Adasiewicz—as a vehicle for some of Chicago’s most ambitious jazz and improvisational artists to develop new material in the context of a lively crowd, full of spirited conversation and cocktail shaking.