Wheelhouse was formed in the summer of 2005, when bassist Nate McBride first relocated from Boston, and was looking for some similarly-minded musicians to work with in Chicago. Originally formed with the idea of playing compositions, the band moved away from that tack in 2008, deciding to pursue a free-improvised approach instead. The slow simmer of the band’s development has allowed for an almost telepathic empathy between these players – all notable soloists and leaders on their own, in this context they pursue a more group-oriented sound where a leader emerges and retracts in unpredictable ways. Additionally, the lack of a drummer provides more sonic space and exposes many of the melodic and harmonic interactions that arise in the group, providing a setting that can move from passages that are remarkably austere, to ones that are highly energetic and dense. Their first studio recording was made in October of 2010, and is slated for release in 2012.

Albums