Yeah NO: Chris Speed/ Skuli Sverrisson/ Jim Black/ Cuong Vu

Name: Yeah NO: Chris Speed/ Skuli Sverrisson/ Jim Black/ Cuong Vu
Start: 2026-04-14T20:30:00-05:00
Location: 3111 N Western Ave Chicago IL 60618

Schedule

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026 at 08:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

3111 N Western Ave Chicago IL 60618 | Chicago, IL

8:30pm. $20 ADV / $25 DOS.

Chris Speed – Tenor saxophone and clarinet visionary, equally at home in expressive lyricism and post-bop abstraction.
Jim Black – Drummer, electronic experimentalist, rhythmic architect; a foundational voice in NYC’s avant-jazz drumming vocabulary.
Cuong Vu – Trumpeter known for blistering sonics and lyrical intensity, blending noise, jazz, and ambient textures with fearless grace.
Skúli Sverrisson – Bassist, composer, and sonic innovator whose genius and unique approach have left a profound mark on contemporary music.

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OGs of the NYC Jazz & New Music Underground

Before genre-blurring became a buzzword and boundary-pushing a branding strategy, Yeah NO was already redefining jazz on their own terms authentic, dynamic, and unapologetically original. Initially convened in the mid-90s as an experiment in decoding and scoring group improvisations, the band—led by saxophonist and clarinetist Chris Speed (The Bad Plus) alongside Jim Black, Skúli Sverrisson, and trumpeter Cuong Vu—crafted an unconventional book of music that fused jazz, rock, Eastern folk, and minimalism, together pushing the NYC jazz and new music underground into new territory.

Thriving in New York City’s late 90s underground scene, Yeah NO toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe, establishing a vital legacy through four influential recordings, including Swell Henry (2004) and Emit (2000).

Now, two decades later, Yeah NO returns with the same deep musical connection, fearless ensemble playing, and intensity that defined their early sound, and 2026 will mark a rare opportunity to hear and experience their dynamic performance live!