Ken Vandermark

Eyebrows were raised in the jazz world when it was announced that the relatively obscure and young Ken Vandermark was to receive a 1999 MacArthur Genius grant. Previous MacArthur recipients among jazz musicians include Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton -- near-legendary figures who, over the course of long careers, created substantial bodies of work that have (to some degree) stood the test of time. Vandermark, just 35 at the time, was little-known outside of Chicago, but became renowned all over the globe. His tenor sax and bass clarinet work is strong and expressive; his tech...