Chicago musician Andy Zimmerman has been writing, performing, and teaching music for over twenty years. Contemplative and subdued yet bristling with quiet energy and lyricism, his music blurs the lines between classical music and jazz, composition and improvisation.
His debut album, Half Light, on Newvelle Records featuring Dave Douglas, Kevin Hays, and Matt Penman has been met by a great deal of critical acclaim. Music critic Marc Phillips remarked, "His introverted approach to jazz quartet composition is delightfully out of step with contemporary trends because it's clear his improvisations are coming from feelings and personal experiences rather than a simple desire to show off his chops on his tenor sax."
Andy composes and performs music as part of an ongoing project with his father, famed storyteller and Meier Foundation Artistic Achievement Award winner Jack Zimmerman. They have collaborated on five sets of stories with music which they have performed live around Chicago.
Andy is featured on pianist Frank Kimbrough's latest album titled Meantime, which was the first issue for the newly formed Newvelle Records. Issued only on vinyl, Meantime gained critical acclaim, including Nate Chinen's review in the New York Times.