Lenard Simpson Quartet

Arts + Literature Laboratory welcomes the Lenard Simpson Quartet on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00pm. Tickets $20 general admission or $15 student/ALL Member in advance online. Advance tickets available online at Brown Paper Tickets. General admission at the door $25 for everyone.

Lenard Simpson is a saxophonist, composer and educator. He has taught at several high profile jazz programs including The Herbie Hancock Institute Jazz in the Classroom; Wisconsin Conservatory of Music; Northern Illinois University jazz camp, and Birch Creek jazz camp. Simpson has had the opportunity to play and travel with artists such as pianist and composer Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, Marquis Hill, and Clayton Cameron.

In the quartet, Simpson is joined by Julius Tucker (piano), Runere Brooks (bass) and Samuel Jewell (drums).

"Lenard Simpson is an extraordinary young voice on the saxophone. His playing is displayed by a profound soulfulness combined with a sparkling intelligence and curiosity. It has been a joy to make music with him in my various ensembles and I always look forward to our next hit." --Billy Childs, jazz pianist

Lenard Simpson

Lenard Simpson is a saxophonist, composer and educator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After completing high school, Lenard went on to pursue a bachelors in Jazz performance at Northern Illinois University. In 2018, Lenard was selected by a panel of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, James Newton and Ambrose Akinmusire to be a member of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, which has since been renamed in honor of Herbie Hancock. After finishing his master’s degree with the Institute, Lenard moved to Chicago where he remains an active performer and educator playing with artists such as Marquis Hill and Kurt Elling.

Julius Tucker

An up and coming, multitalented musician, Julius Tucker is a pianist, composer, bandleader and producer. His musical voice encompasses a multitude of genres, from jazz to house music. He is especially known for his complex sensitivities and agile fluidity on the piano and keyboard which have become his signature style. Tucker studied at Northwestern University and received degrees in both Jazz Piano and Civil Engineering. During his senior year, he was awarded a prestigious Luminarts Fellowship in jazz improvisation.

Steadily rising in the Chicagoland area, Tucker has had the opportunity to play at noted venues around town; including The Green Mill, Room 43, Andy’s Jazz Club, Winter’s Jazz Club, Constellation, the Jazz Showcase and The Promontory. He has also been featured at the Chicago and Hyde Park Jazz Fests, as well as many summer concerts throughout the city. Traveling abroad, he was fortunate to play at the JazzIt jazz festival in Italy where we... Read More

Runere Brooks

Chicago bassist Runere Brooks has played with many artists such as Frank McComb, Miki Howard, Lonnie Liston, Lupe Fiasco, Tim Warfield, and more. His most recent album, Celebration to the King [Jesus] was released in January 2024.

Samuel Jewell

Chicago bred. Old Soul. Gifted. Talented. Drummer. Percussionist. Educator. The Journey of Process (2017), available on Bandcamp, features Melody Jones (vocals) and Runere Brooks (bass), among others.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

CALENDAR