Keri Johnsrud and Her Quartet Return to Perform at the Jazz Showcase

Hey there, Chicago-land! This is your friendly local jazz vocalist, composer, music instructor, first-time blog writer and storm-chaser wannabe, Keri Johnsrud. Since arriving in Chicago in 1999, from the vast cornfields of Iowa, I’ve been fortunate to perform in some of the most historic venues in the city (and country, for that matter), with the Jazz Showcase being one of the oldest. With that said, I would love to invite you to join me and my band on Wednesday, March 16th, for our performance at this celebrated jazz club.  

 In 2012, I embarked on a journey I never imagined I would consider…songwriting. Up until that year, I was perfectly comfortable performing jazz standards originally made famous by singers and instrumentalists who, some might argue, were responsible for putting jazz on the map in Chicago. But that was the problem; I was comfortable.

 The decision to introduce vulnerability into my music and to challenge myself as an artist by creating melodies and lyrics about my own experiences, or of those around me, came when I met collaborator and Atlanta-based pianist Kevin Bales. By 2015, we had teamed up with some of Chicago’s top musicians to record and release an album of all-original vocal jazz material called “This Side of Morning.” On March 16th, at the Jazz Showcase, you will have the opportunity to hear selections from this recording, in addition to new material, and yes…even a few jazz standards.

 For more information on this performance and upcoming shows in New York, St. Louis, and Iowa, feel free to visit my website at http://www.kerijohnsrud.com. Thank you for ‘stopping by’ and see you, soon!