Join us for the Joyful Sound of Jazz

On Friday, September 20 the Eastgate Café, 102 Harrison St in Oak Park proudly presents an unusually accomplished jazz trio from 7:00 to 10:00 PM - vocalist Sabina L. Lilly, bass play Marlene Rosenberg and pianist Doug Lalli.

Sabina (pronounced with a long “i”) has a strong musical foundation rooted in her childhood study of piano and clarinet. Her interest in singing came later. “As much as I loved clarinet and piano,” she says, “I knew I could never stop talking for 8 hours a day to put in the required practice time for either instrument. So, I decided to give singing a try.” (No doubt jazz lovers everywhere are grateful that Sabina is a chatterbox!)

She was first exposed to jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston. “This expression was thrilling new territory for me, Sabina observes. “I wanted to absorb as much of this new musical language as possible.”

During the last three decades, Sabina’s professional experience has been eclectic to say the least. She ran a full-time music studio, sang and recorded with the internationally acclaimed Schola Cantorum of St. Peter the Apostle and wrote, performed and produced a CD of original jazz-inspired music. She has also played with a host of jazz luminaries including Delfeayo Marsalis, Mike Allemana, Makaya McCraven and Chris Greene at such prestigious venues as the Jazz Showcase, Club 3160, Andy’s, Fitzgerald’s, Davenport’s and the Fine Arts Building. Now she is exploring creating music in more intimate venues like the Eastgate Café while pursuing her master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy at Northeastern Illinois University.

Sabina has known and played with bass player, Marlene Rosenberg for nearly a decade.

“Marlene has a vocal quality to her bass playing” says Sabina, that complements my singing. She gently and supportively pushes me toward new creative directions.” She is the Coordinator of the Jazz combo program at Northern Illinois University and is an Applied Artist on the faculty of Roosevelt University, teaching bass lessons and combo. In addition to her academic credentials, Marlene has played with Kenny Barron, Stan Getz, Tern Lynne Carrington, Kevin Mahogany, Marian McPartland, Cyrus Chestnut and Tamir Hendleman to name a few. She performs regularly with her own ensemble MRQ and has four CDs out: “Waimea”; “Pieces Of...”; “Bassprint” and the newly released “MLK Convergence” featuring Kenny Barron and Lewis Nash as well as special guest Christian McBride.

The third member of the trio is keyboardist and composer Doug Lalli.

Doug is well-known to Eastgate patrons and others familiar with the Chicago jazz scene as the leader of the Eastgate Café’s house band. The group performs at Eastgate every Sunday. Originally from the East Coast, Doug performed regularly in clubs in New York, Philadelphia and Wilmington with artists like Anita O’Day, Spanky Davis and Zoot Sims before relocating to Chicago in 1997.

“Doug and I first met around 2013, “explains Sabina, “and then again earlier this year. When I started to attend the Sunday jam sessions at EastGate Café, we got to know each other musically. I’m especially excited about performing with Doug on September 20 because I’ll be introducing a couple of his original songs."

In addition to the pleasure of hearing the trio’s interpretation of the Great American Songbook and Doug’s original tunes, patrons will also enjoy the Eastgate’s superb gourmet fare including cocktails and an excellent selection of house wines and beers.

We know that this will be a very special evening for all concerned and, because seating at the Eastgate is limited, suggest that guests come early or call ahead to reserve a table as soon as possible. Please note, the Eastgate never charges a cover charge but it is suggested that each attendee donates a $15 honorarium for the performers during the evening.