The Musicians

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Jeremy Kahn - Piano 

Jeremy Kahn is one of Chicago’s busiest pianists, dividing his time between jazz venues, pit orchestras, and recording and teaching studios. He graduated from New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Jaki Byard. Jeremy then spent twelve years in New York, where he was a member of Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, and worked with Max Roach.  After moving to Chicago, he was the pianist in the Chicago Jazz Ensemble (led by Jon Faddis and Dana Hall).

Jeremy has performed on stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Branford Marsalis, the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, and on screen with Madonna and Mary Wilson. He is also the founder of Double Monk, showcasing the the music of Thelonious Monk with two pianos and a dancer. 

Jeremy is currently a faculty member of Northwestern University, DePaul University, Elmhurst College and the Music Institute of Chicago. He has been a featured performer at the Chicago, Hyde Park and Poznan (Poland) Jazz Festival. Jeremy is a 2014 honoree of the Chicago Musicians Union Dal Sagno Club.

Jeremy appears on Bobby Lewis' most recent recording project “No Expiration Date" and appears with him in live performance ensembles.

Jeremy Kahn Website




PAT MALLINGER - Alto & Tenor Sax

Hailed as one of the most talented musicians in Chicago. Attended North Texas State University and was a member of the outstanding One O’clock Lab Jazz Band. After touring with ARTIE SHAW and WOODY HERMAN, he settled in Chicago in 1990, where he performs  at the Green Mill co-leading the Sabertooth quartet, Saturday's at midnight for more than a decade. He produced has produced 6 CD recordings of his compositions, including MONDAY PRAYER TO TUNKASHILA, Sabertooth: Live at the Green Mill, Home On Richmond and his recent release ELEVATE. He has also performed on many of Bobby Lewis CD recording projects.

 Pat leads the Ravinia Jazz Mentors program to develop and teach young jazz musicians in Chicago’s inner-city schools. Pat continues to perform around town with many groups including the  Chicago Jazz Ensemble and the Bobby Lewis jazz Quintet.

Pat Mallinger


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BOB RUMMAGE - Drums

Bob Rummage is director of percussion at Elmhurst and one of the busiest musicians in Chicago. He maintains a versatile schedule of performances with a variety of Chicago ensembles ranging from Rob Parton’s Jazz Tech Big Band to the Mark Colby Quartet to the eclectic styles of Howard Levy. He has performed with many internationally known musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Nat Adderly, Benny Golson, Buddy DeFranco and Bela Fleck. A highly sought-after clinician, Rummage has made appearances at high schools and colleges including the University of Illinois, University of Kentucky, Emporia State, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the Music for All camp at Illinois State.  

Bob Rummage appears on Bobby Lewis' most recent recording project “No Expiration Date" and appears with him in live performance ensembles.

Bob Rummage





JEFF STITELY - Drums

Jeff began his career as a jazz drummer in 1984, building a reputation in Chicago by playing with such superb artists as Chick Corea, Randy Becker, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Harris, Larry Coryell Patricia Barber, Von Freeman and many others. The Jeff Stitely Quartet has recorded three CDs, toured both the U.S. and Europe and was a finalist in the Hennessey National Jazz Competition. Jeff studied and performed African drumming with Gideon Foli Alorwoyie for five years, and has been on faculty at Northern Illinois and Northeastern Illinois Universities teaching percussion. Along with this he is one of the busiest drummers in Chicago and travels often to perform concerts and percussion clinics. Jeff has been a featured performer on many of Bobby Lewis' CD's and is his first choice drummer for Jazz concert appearances.

JSQ Music Company



Stewart-Miller


Stewart Miller - Bass

Bassist STEWART MILLER is a native of Louisville, KY, a graduate of music programs at the University of Kentucky and Northern Illinois University, and a regular in jazz clubs, recording studios, and festivals in and around Chicago. 

After two years of touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the early 1980s Stewart worked in a wide variety of musical settings in the Louisville-Lexington-Cincinnati area and eventually came to Chicago in 1987.  

He can be heard on recent recordings by Chicago jazz artists such as Orbert Davis, Bobby Lewis,
Russ Phillips, Bobby Schiff, and Judy Roberts, and on Delmark Records 2004 release Up Jumped Spring by legendary trombonist Curtis Fuller.

He is on the Faculty of UIC, Department of Performing Arts:

Stewart Miller 




ERNIE ADAMS - Drums

Ernie Adams is a Chicago Based Drummer, percussionist, composer, professor and educator.  He studied Jazz at North Texas State University and The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Having played professionally since the age of 15, he has played throughout the US, North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.  He has appeared with Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Kurt Elling, Jmaes Moody, Claudio Roditi, Clark Terry,Ahmad Janal, Orbert Davis and The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bobby Lewis, to name a few.

Ernie is on over 100 recordings, including Jim Ryan's recently release CD trio album. He co-wrote and performed ont the soundtrack of the 1995 movie "A Family thing". He is Drum Professor at the University
of Illinois-Chicago and is very active in the Chicago Jazz scene as a performer and an educator.

Ernie Adams


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JIM RYAN - Piano & Keyboards

A professional musician since 1962, in Los Angeles and Chicago, has done recording as a performer, and writer/producer of commercial music for television and radio. Jim played keyboards for AL JARREAU on his Grammy Award-winning album "ALL FLY HOME". 

He toured and recorded with a rock group called THE MOB in the 1960’s. His piano artistry and musical sensitivity are well known in the musical world. He performs regularly with his own groups and as a soloist and with Bobby Lewis in concerts as a Jazz duo through septet.   Jim has appeared on 11 of the BOBBY LEWIS CD recordings. 

Jim released his dirst CD recording of his trio REMEMBER CHICAGO, featuring Stewart Miller on Bass and Ernie Adams on drums, in 2012.





THOMAS KINI - Electric Bass

A native of New Zealand, and virtuoso electric bassist, is one of Chicago’s busiest and most in-demand jazz artists. His music took him to Australia where he studied at the Australian Music Conservatory, and then to Europe where he performed in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and Copenhagen. Thomas has appeared on many recordings including JORGE DALTO, DONNY HATHAWAY, MANFREDO FEST (Brazilian jazz pianist), STEVIE WONDER, a CD recording by the COLBY CARUSO Quintet with AKIO SASAJIMA, and JOE HENDERSON, and has appeared on all of the BOBBY LEWIS CD recordings for Southport records.

Our beloved and irreplaceable Thomas passed away on April 5, 2004 . To view his memorial  please click here MEMORIAL

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