Sundays on the Square

The Last Word Quintet is a union of song, jazz, and poetry – an artistic  collaboration of the first rank. It is a collaboration between four of Chicago’s best musicians and songwriters with Marc Kelly Smith, performance poet, founder of the Uptown Poetry Slam and a leader of the worldwide poetry slam movement. Marc’s performance of original and classic poetry meshes seamlessly with Al Day’s vocals and lyrics to illustrate multi-dimensional tales of urban life. With pianist Bob Long, bassist Doug Lofstrom and saxophonist Brian Gephart, the Last Word creates new worlds to be explored. As Robert Rodi wrote in New City, “it’s apparent we’re hearing an entirely new kind of poetic conversation, and it’s thrilling.”