page_title: Ken Vandermark
section_title: Groups and collaborations
hierarchical_section_title: Ken Vandermark / Groups and collaborations
caption_attribution_description: English: Ken Vandermark in Aarhus, Denmark
context_page_description: Ken Vandermark is an American jazz composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist.
  A fixture on the Chicago-area music scene since the 1990s, Vandermark has earned wide critical praise for his playing and his multilayered compositions, which typically balance intricate orchestration with passionate improvisation. He has led or been a member of many groups, has collaborated with many other musicians, and was awarded a 1999 MacArthur Fellowship. He plays tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, and baritone saxophone.
  He was also a member of NRG Ensemble.
context_section_description: In the mid-1990s, Vandermark was known, in part, for his many collaborations with other musicians. Some groups were ad hoc settings, while others were more stable. He worked not only in jazz, but free improvisation, noise, rock and roll of various stripes, and other settings. Due in part to wanting to focus more on his own compositions, Vandermark decided in about 2000 to limit his collaborations.
caption: Ken Vandermark
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