Ben LaMar Gay’s We Chree

The jazz composer, eclectic artist and channeler of cosmopolitan blues performs as part of a trio. Resisting fixed form, the trio perform a fluid, exploratory live set shaped by Chicago’s experimental lineage, drawing on jazz, hip hop, house, avant garde and Latin influences. A South Side Chicago native, LaMar Gay was shaped by the legendary AACM’s experimental tradition and an early immersion in the city’s many music scenes. Time spent in Brazil further informed a wide-ranging practice later described as ‘Panamericana’. After years of composing and recording, a debut album Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun (2018) compiled earlier work into one ‘greatest hits’ collection, followed by more albums, film scores, commissions and international residencies, with latest record Yowzers released in 2025. Performers Ben LaMar Gay voice, cornet, synth Rob Frye woodwinds Mike Reed drums