For years, they were the late night midnight to 5:00 am Saturday night (Sunday morning) band at a "jazz club up on the north side" (by the name of the Green Mill). And my wife and I actually saw this band, at the Green Mill, the very night we met -- unplanned! (And worlds collide in multiple ways because, like me, Pat is from Minnesota, and I also know him from the long-closed St. Paul, Minnesota jazz club the Artists' Quarter.)
Of late, whenever I finish up work on Thursday afternoon, if my schedule and the weather permit, I hop on a red line train down to Andy's Jazz Club, in the River North section of downtown Chicago, to see Sabertooth play an early set. The club doesn't have an organ, but Pete Benson is also an excellent piano player, so he's got the keys covered. Along with reed men Pat and Cameron, pianist Pete, the band's complete lineup also includes Matt Ferguson on bass and Neil Hemphill on drums.
The music here in River North doesn't start at midnight -- shows are at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The band is great and the shows are terrific. They have a huge songbook full of jazz classics and originals, and rarely repeat themselves.
If you're ever in the area, you should check it out! You won't be disappointed. And if you can't make it down, check out the video above for a sampling from their Green Mill days, or catch the live stream on Andy's website on Thursday nights at 8pm. And be sure to search for Sabertooth on your favorite music platform, or follow them on Facebook.
Did you know that I've got a friend named Pat Mallinger, who, along with his friend Cameron Pfiffner, have led a fantastic jazz group called Sabertooth since ... at least November 1992? And they're still playing great live jazz music now, here in Chicago, in 2025!
For years, they were the late night midnight to 5:00 am Saturday night (Sunday morning) band at a "jazz club up on the north side" (by the name of the Green Mill). And my wife and I actually saw this band, at the Green Mill, the very night we met -- unplanned! (And worlds collide in multiple ways because, like me, Pat is from Minnesota, and I also know him from the long-closed St. Paul, Minnesota jazz club the Artists' Quarter.)
Of late, whenever I finish up work on Thursday afternoon, if my schedule and the weather permit, I hop on a red line train down to Andy's Jazz Club, in the River North section of downtown Chicago, to see Sabertooth play an early set. The club doesn't have an organ, but Pete Benson is also an excellent piano player, so he's got the keys covered. Along with reed men Pat and Cameron, pianist Pete, the band's complete lineup also includes Matt Ferguson on bass and Neil Hemphill on drums.
The music here in River North doesn't start at midnight -- shows are at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The band is great and the shows are terrific. They have a huge songbook full of jazz classics and originals, and rarely repeat themselves.
If you're ever in the area, you should check it out! You won't be disappointed. And if you can't make it down, check out the video above for a sampling from their Green Mill days, or catch the live stream on Andy's website on Thursday nights at 8pm. And be sure to search for Sabertooth on your favorite music platform, or follow them on Facebook.
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