LMT Trio

Date: Wednesday, May 27th, 2026

Doors: 5:00PM to Venue | 7:00PM to Sanctuary

Showtime: 7:30PM

Tickets:
Early Bird - $15 (+$4.57 fees, including tax)
General Admission - $20 (+$4.72 fees, including tax)

‘Service charges apply to ALL ticket purchases (online and box office)’ - Credit card only at door

About:

Kurt Loeffler is a Chicago-based drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and music lecturer known for
his dynamic performances and engaging, audience-centered approach. As an active performer, he
leads a range of ensembles—from intimate trios to larger groups—throughout Chicago, while also
presenting music appreciation programs that blend live performance, storytelling, and historical
context.

In addition to lectures, Kurt offers live musical performances that often highlight the same styles
and artists featured in his talks. His ensembles—comprised of some of the top professional
musicians from the Chicago area—perform jazz, standards, Latin, pop, and rock selections from the
Great American Songbook and beyond.

Kurt holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Drum Set from the University of Illinois, a Master’s Certificate
in Arranging from Berklee College of Music, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Orchestral Percussion from
the University of Michigan. He has also pursued advanced jazz studies at DePaul University and
studied piano, harmony, and theory with renowned educator Alan Swain.

In 1988, Steve Million was a semifinalist in the internationally renowned Thelonious
Monk Piano Competition; that same year, the Missouri native moved to Chicago and
never looked back. The music of Monk continued to play an important role in his
career. In the 90s he formed a two-keyboard band called Monk’s Dream with Mike
Kocour and Robert Shy; in the 2000s created the humor-filled band Thelonious Moog
with Joe "Guido" Welsh; and is now part of a piano duo with esteemed pianist Jeremy
Kahn called Double Monk that performs the music of Monk with their arrangements and
sometimes with the modern dancer Ariane Dolan.

Around 2004 Million began a rewarding career teaching privately at the respected Merit
School of Music, where he is now Jazz Chair, runs classes in jazz piano, jazz ensembles,
and improvisation. In addition to playing his regular nightly gig at the popular downtown
restaurant Catch 35. Million has recorded three CDs for Palmetto Records: Million to
One (1995), Thanks A Million (1997), and Truth Is (1999) featuring such artists as
trumpet great Randy Brecker, saxists Chris Potter and Dick Oatts, and legendary bassist
Michael Moore. He has also released a trio album, Poetic Necessities (BluJazz, 2002), and
a solo album, Remembering The Way Home (Origin, 2008).

Emma Taylor is a multifaceted musician, educator, and arts professional based in Chicago. Emma
is a graduate of Millikin University (BM Music Business and Commercial Music) and the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (MM, DMA). During her time at UIUC, Emma studied under the
direction of Larry Gray and served as the Jazz Bass teaching assistant, teaching private lessons and
running Jazz Band III, as well as the Classical Bass TA. For three years, Emma taught at Millikin
University’s School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance. She has also taught at Purdue
University and Richland Community College.

Emma is an acclaimed bassist and bandleader, having received several awards such as the 2017
DownBeat Outstanding Performance and the 2020 Jazz Achievement Award. She is a sidewoman in
the Central Illinois jazz scene and has played with notable musicians such as Carl Allen, Derrick
Gardner, Jim Pugh, Troy Roberts, Frank Catalano, Joel Spencer, Tito Carrillo, Larry Gray, and Jim
Snidero.

Aside from playing in the US, Emma has also toured and taught masterclasses in Argentina, Chile,
and Cuba, as well as in Mexico with Wave Trio, a modern jazz group, which features two-time
Grammy winning artist Adrian Terrazas-Gonzalez (The Mars Volta, T.R.A.M., Transient) on
woodwinds. Most recently, Emma traveled to Brazil with Millikin University students for a weeklong residency at University de Federal in Uberlandia.

Emma has also been recognized for her talents in dancing, singing, and musical theatre. She toured
Central Illinois as a singer/dancer and performed in numerous productions at Central Illinois Equity
Theatre “The Little Theatre On The Square”. In her free time, Emma enjoys choreographing and
teaching dance classes—attributing her musical feel to her years of dance and performing.

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Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for our live music series concerts, and be sure to hit Golden Hour before-hand for drinks and lite-bites! Doors open at 5pm Thursday - Saturday for Golden Hour with 1/2 priced bottles of wine, BOGO cocktails, and other specials!

Come early to EXPLORE and DISCOVER your own EPIPHANY… our art galleries are open and there is free entertainment before the show!

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue.