The Last Word Quintet

Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023

Doors: 5PM for Golden Hour

Showtime: 8PM 

Tickets: $15 - Advanced | $20 - At door 

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

About: 

The Last Word Quintet is a collaboration between four of Chicago's best musicians and songwriters with Marc Kelly Smith, performance poet, founder of the Uptown Poetry Slam and a leader of the worldwide poetry slam movement. Marc's performance of original and classic poetry meshes seamlessly with Al Day's vocals and lyrics to illustrate multi-dimensional tales of urban life.

Al Day has been hailed "Most Promising Songwriter" by Chicago Magazine and has appeared in clubs and colleges throughout the United States and on radio and TV shows as WFMT's "Midnight Special" and WTTW's "Sound Stage." Beyond collaborating as a musician and writer with Last Word members, Al has written librettos for several of Doug Lofstrom’s musical theater works, including the opera Two Soldiers.

Bob Long has performed as a composer and jazz pianist nationally and internationally at the Chicago Jazz Festival twice, JVC Jazz Festival in New York, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. He and saxophonist Brian Gephart have recorded six CDs with the GephartLong Quartet for the Birch Tree label. Al and Bob have been musical collaborators for many years and Bob has been a musical part of Marc’s poetry slam on and off for decades.

Marc Kelly Smith is creator and founder of the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill Club in Chicago. Chalking more than 2000 performances in clubs, concert halls, and festivals in the United States and Europe, Marc continues to host and perform every Sunday night at the Green Mill, while always looking for new projects – such as the Last Word – to broaden the space for contemporary verse.

Bassist Doug Lofstrom has been composing prolifically since the 1970’s and his works have been performed by the St. Louis, Atlanta and Oregon Symphony Orchestras. In 2001, he formed The New Quartet, a versatile chamber ensemble which performs his original music and arrangements of modern classics, jazz and world music. He has taught music at Columbia College in both a full-time and part-time capacity since 1986. Over the years, he has collaborated with Al Day on numerous songs and musical theater projects.

Saxophonist Brian Gephart leads his own jazz sextet, the Brian Gephart Group. He has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Chicago Jazz Festival, the Taste of Chicago, and most of the Chicago jazz clubs. Besides teaching private lessons, Brian also coaches the jazz combos at Evanston Township High School. The Last Word has adapted several of the many songs that Brian has written.

The Last Word has released two CD’s with a third on the way. Visit their website at www.lastwordquintet.com 

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 Wednesday - Saturday for Golden Hour with 1/2 priced bottles of wine 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!

Full Concert Calendar Here

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule