OPTION: Christopher Dammann / Avreeayl Ra / Edward Wilkerson

Christopher Dammann (bass) joins Avreeayl Ra (drums) and Edward Wilkerson (reeds) for a set of improvised music.

This performance and interview are presented in the ESS garden, and will premiere online on ESS's YouTube.

The OPTION series is curated by Andrew Clinkman, Lily Finnegan, and Dorothy Carlos.

Sunday, August 2

Music at 3pm

Experimental Sound Studio Garden
5925 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago

Christopher Dammann is a composer/bassist who lives in Chicago. He considers himself indebted to the generosity and knowledge of those he collaborates, studies, and performs with, including Jim Baker, Avreeayl Ra, Steve Hunt, Vincent Davis, Brian Sandstrom, Edward Wilkerson Jr, Jon Irabagon, Mabel Kwan, James Davis, and Brian Gephart. Recent work includes the debut recording of his current sextet (Scott Clark, Jon Irabagon, Edward Wilkerson, Mabel Kwan, James Davis) and an upcoming quintet release expected July 2026 of a new quintet (Jim Baker, Mike Reed, Jon Irabagon, James Davis) on the Shifting Paradigm label. Christopher is a 2025 Illinois Arts Council Creative Catalyst Grant recipient and a 2025 3Arts Make a Wave Awardee.

In addition to his work as a performer, Christopher is also proud to be a teaching artist with The People’s Music School of Chicago, Chicago’s largest tuition free music school.

Drummer/percussionist Avreeayl Ra grew up in Chicago in a house full of music: his father, Arthur “Swinglee” O’Neil, was a tenor saxophonist who mentored many young Chicago musicians, including John Gilmore. He studied drums with Kelan Philip Cohran, one of the cofounders of the AACM, and has since remained a member of that organization. Ra has performed and/or recorded with Fred Anderson, Amiri Baraka, Fontella Bass, Lester Bowie, Ari Brown, Oscar Brown, Jr., Charles Gayle, Henry Grimes, Billy Harper, Joseph Jarman, Edward “Kidd” Jordan, Nicole Mitchell, Sun Ra, Malachi Thompson, and many others.

According to the Chicago Tribune he is “an indispensable Chicago innovator, Avreeayl Ra shapes the music-making swirling around him with remarkable precision and poise… extraordinarily sensitive percussion.”

Edward Wilkerson, Jr. is an internationally recognized composer, arranger, saxophonist, clarinetist, and educator based in Chicago, where he has been closely associated with the AACM, serving at one time as its president. He first came to prominence as a member of Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, participating in a number of recordings by the group. As founder and director of the cutting-edge octet 8 Bold Souls, and the 25-member Shadow Vignettes ensemble, Wilkerson has toured festivals and concert halls throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

OPTION is an ongoing music salon curated by Chicago musicians Andrew Clinkman, Lily Finnegan, and Dorothy Carlos and presented by Experimental Sound Studio. Its programming explores contemporary perspectives on improvisation and composition in a 'salon' format, enabling local, national, and international artists to publicly discuss their practice and ideas as well as perform. Click here for past OPTION performances.

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