Paintings By: Craig Blakeman

Remington 2+2 is a free improv quartet that joins Steele with guitarist Bill MacKay and two invited "mystery guests" at each show. The guitar duo first played together in the Charles Rumback Trio, but it was not until August of 2005 that they began performing as Remington 2+2. Their past guests have included Greg Ward, Charles Gorczynski, Paul Giallorenzo, Charles Rumback, and many other musicians from the local scene.
I just really love to play with Bill. When I'm playing with him it almost seems like we can read each other's minds. I clearly remember the first time we played together; we would be doing totally different things, then at the same time we'd come together in the same key, sometimes the same note - it was such an amazing surprise for me. I really dig that about his playing. Remington 2+2 is also enjoyable because it can bring a community of musicians together that might not have played together before...I bring one of my friends and he brings one of his. It's a chance to try out new ideas and have a space for free improvisation. I'm still quite new at playing in a free, improvisational style; only about 2 years or so. Actually, the first time I ever played free I played with Bill and I felt so comfortable with him from the very beginning. -Jason Steele There is a real feeling of freedom with this group. Part of it is the warmth of the friendship and sonic-intuitive bond that Jason and I share. Part of it is the great unknown quantity we encounter with every show in the way of the wonderful guests we have been fortunate to have along. (as Jason mentions, with Remington 2+2 he and I each invite a player to join us for gigs, whose identity remains secret to the other of us until showtime). Finally and firstly is the music itself: as improvisatory as it may be, the connection we bring to it is usually enough to launch us on some pretty song-like excursions. Each gig has been I think unique, and I am always intrigued to see who will walk in the door. Sometimes the joke has been on us, for example when we both unwittingly invited Charles Rumback to play.The mystery of trying to guess who will be joining us is a great element of the journey. Next time it could be you. -Bill Mackay
Bill MacKay - Guitar
	Pittsburgh native Bill MacKay has played throughout Chicagoland since 1998, focusing his energy on an array of jazz, rock, and improvisational groups. He describes himself as a "composer-poet" who plays guitar and piano, sings, makes art, and writes. His guitar work was recently featured on two recordings: Violinist Savoir Faire's debut Running Out Of Time (Delmark, 2005) and the self-titled, all original debut from his own group, Bill MacKay and the Sounds of Now (Son of Fire Recordings, 2005). Joining Bill in Sounds of Now are Greg Ward on alto sax, bassist Todd Hill, and drummer John Celebi. Some listeners have described Sounds of Now as "John Coltrane meets The Doors meets Sylvia Plath," "Soundtracks for sunrise delirium," and "The record Rimbaud would have gotten high to." Mark F. Turner at AllAboutJazz.com wrote that their debut album is "Melodic, complex, and insightful. Like broken glass, the music glimmers, with its various shards illuminating influences like rock, blues, and folk music." Bill MacKay and the Sounds of Now have been seen at such Chicago clubs as The Velvet Lounge, Hungry Brain, The Charleston, Danny's, The Leadway, and Cafe Mestizo.