Together with the Hairpin Arts Center, Asian Improv aRts Midwest’s Tatsu Aoki continues the Sudden Impact  series in 2020 to facilitate new catalystic events, providing a heart shaped substratum for Chicago’s musical artists to collaborate, hug,  and conduct musical kisses (and experiments); to collaborate and bring forth new musical happenings.

Join us at Hairpin Arts Center, 2810 N. Milwaukee Ave.

for the Valentine’s Day set of the Sudden Impact Series!

Mars Williams is an open-minded musician, composer and educator who commutes easily between free jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock, Mars has played and recorded with The Psychedelic Furs, Billy Idol, Massacre, Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Ministry, Power Station, Die Warzau, The Waitresses, Kiki Dee, Pete Cosey, Billy Squier, DJ Logic, Wayne Kramer, John Scoffield, Charlie Hunter, Kurt Elling, Swollen Monkeys, Mike Clark, Jerry Garcia, Naked Raygun, Friendly Fires, The Untouchables, Blow Monkeys and virtually every leading figure of Chicago’s and New York City’s “downtown” scene.

Tatsu Aoki is a leading advocate for the Asian American community, as well as a prolific composer and performer of traditional and experimental music forms, a filmmaker, and an educator. Aoki is a Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, which will be celebrating its Silver twenty-fifth anniversary (2020).  His sustained and intensified endeavors resulting in awards from multiple cultural and musical organizations for his cross-cultural collaborations. His accolades are many and diversified, recently, in addition to directing and composing in two film projects, Aoki has been touring as part of Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble, performing on a world tour for her “Mandorla Awakening II” project (playing acoustic bass, taiko drum, and shamisen); and was awarded the 2019 Community Service award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago for his continued leadership and contribution to the community. He recently was awarded  the 2020 United States Artist Fellowship for his work as a musician, composer, and educator.