Pyrography (2025)
Paul Hecht

Pyrography is a product of the Chicago scene, one of the world’s most vital crossroads for musical and artistic enterprise. The band includes Gustavo Cortiñas, a drummer and composer originally from Mexico who has distinguished himself with a series of projects of increasing ambition and scope, including his own record label Desafío Candente. James Davis on trumpet is a longtime fixture of the Chicago scene, a notable composer and bandleader, and valued member of many important Chicago ensembles. Ben Dillinger is one of the most sought-after young bass players in the city, equally at home in traditional jazz and avant-garde projects.

Pianist and composer Paul Hecht is also a product of Chicago, having come of age as an improvising musician by working with a vital generation of performers including Greg Ward, Matt Ulery, Quin Kirchner, and particularly Rob Clearfield. Hecht took an unconventional path, with a career as an English professor and writer, and a lengthy engagement with classical music and the violin. An initially self-taught pianist, he was fortunate to study jazz and improvisation in academic settings in New England in the late 90s, including with the great saxophonist Yusef Lateef. Since turning to music full-time in 2021, he has worked with a wide range of musicians and performs regularly in venues throughout the Midwest.