Dave Onderdonk

David Onderdonk is a versatile guitarist and educator based in Illinois, with a rich background in both classical and jazz music. Trained at the University of Illinois, he studied classical guitar and performed with the U of I Jazz Big Band, taking master classes with renowned artists like Manuel Barrueco and Eliot Fisk. His classical career has taken him across the U.S., Europe, and the Americas, while his jazz work includes collaborations and recordings with top artists such as Michael Feinstein, Kurt Elling, Pharoah Sanders, and Mavis Staples. Onderdonk has also contributed to numerous studio projects, including TV commercials, a documentary for A&E, and a feature film soundtrack. He teaches privately, at the Music Institute of Chicago, and has held faculty roles at Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy.

donovan Mixon

Since 2010, Chicago has been his creative hub where he performs in clubs, concert halls and festivals with his World Jazz Quintet as well as with the GBME--Great Black Music Ensemble—of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) of which he is a recent inductee. Mixon curates monthly jazz performances with a series called "Donovan’s Garage" a unique performance laboratory located in N. Evanston.

His latest recording, 'Finding Center' is set for release in October 2025. It features all original compositions, fellow AACM members saxoponist Fred Jackson Jr, Trumpeter Leon Q Allen and other instrumentalists such as pianist Robert Irving III, drummer Charles Heath,  bassist Cory Biggerstaff,  and the splendid voice of Sarah Marie Young.  

        geoff lowe

Geoffrey Lowe is a versatile bassist who spent his formative years in Colorado, playing violin,
guitar, piano, and bass before making Chicago his creative hub. In the years since then, he has
toured Europe, performing with both jazz and classical groups. He has shared the stage with a
wide range of artists ranging from Ben E. King, Lynda Carter, and Ginger Baker to The Shirelles,
and The Platters. He has recorded with David Sanborn, Danny Brubeck, Chris Botti, Howard Levy
and many others. Highlights of his career include performances at the London Palladium, the
Chicago Jazz Festival, the International Cultural Festival (in Hue, Vietnam), and the Spoletto
Music Festival in Italy.

Steve Corley

  • Corley joined the Chris Greene Quartet in 2011, making him the "newest" member of the band. The quartet blends jazz with elements of blues, swing, funk, hip-hop, rock, and reggae.
  • The band has been recognized as one of the best jazz bands in Chicago. 
  • Versatile Musician: He is described as a percussionist, composer, and educator. 
  • He is considered a talented and respected drummer within the Chicago jazz scene. 

ART EXHIBITION BY JeVOID SIMMONS
Jevoid Simmons is a self-taught artist and storyteller based in Evanston, Illinois, whose work reflects his family's migration from rural Alabama to Iowa in the early 1950s to escape racial violence. His art, encompassing paintings and wood carvings, vividly portrays this journey and the broader African American experience. Simmons' first book, Up From Down Home: A Family’s Journey North, published in 2021, complements his visual art by chronicling this personal history. His works have been exhibited at various venues, including the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Beyond his artistic endeavors, Simmons is committed to community engagement, volunteering with programs like Camp Kuumba, which supports Black and Brown youth in grades 3–8, and serving on the Evanston Art Council’s Art Equity Subcommittee. He retired after a 35-year career in human resources, including 17 years at the Art Institute of Chicago, and now focuses on his passion for art and storytelling.