Love Call (Devin Drobka / Max Bessesen / Ethan Philion)

Love Call is a trio that unites all that is beautiful in the world into a set of original music that blurs the line between composition and improvisation.

Band Members:
Max Bessesen – Saxophone/Woodwinds
Devin Drobka – Drums
Ethan Philion – Bass

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NYC woodwind artist and composer Max Bessesen creates music that “pushes boundaries without being abstruse and is stirringly emotive while eschewing melodrama.” (Jazziz Magazine) His “saxophone virtuosity” (DownBeat) has helped him perform in bands led by Darcy James Argue, Mimi Jones, and Tyler Mitchell. He has played on four continents, and in New York venues like Dizzy’s Club, The Jazz Gallery, and Birdland. His 2020 album Trouble (Ropeadope) features Ron Miles and the single “Bakkam” won an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award. Support for this and other projects came from Luminarts, Pathways to Jazz, and The Beebe Fund. Bessesen is the recipient of four Downbeat student music awards including the “Outstanding Soloist” award.

Devin Drobka is one of the most in-demand and creative musicians in the midwest for the past 15 years. Audiences around the world have been enthralled with his wide sonic palette and limitless rhythmic possibilities on the drums. A deep love of jazz, metal, folk, hip-hop, ambient, idm, and classical music has helped shape Devin’s unique voice and vision on the drums both as a leader and as a sideman. His highly personal and creative drumming can be heard within the realm of jazz having performed with Greg Osby, Jerry Bergonzi, Dayna Stephens, and Joe Lovano as well as indie- folk bands like Field Report and indie rappers R.A.P. Ferreira and Serengeti. Devin can be heard on over 50 albums of genre bending, original music for which he is an advocate for. Devin currently composes music for his newest group, The Devin Drobka Trio, which draws upon his love of contemporary classical music and minimalism and his multi horn group, Bell Dance Songs, which is a response to his love of Albert Ayler, Paul Motian, and Ornette Coleman. Devin’s music has been described as “sounding like nothing else in midwestern jazz” and “gorgerous, innovative.”

Ethan Philion is an award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Chicago. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and DePaul University, Philion has been praised by the Washington Post for his “well honed chops and astounding musicality” and his debut album, Meditations on Mingus, was commended as “a labor of conspicuous love and respect for a musical titan” by DownBeat. He has performed with an extensive list of jazz artists, including Rufus Reid, Greg Ward, Dana Hall, Mark Feldman, Russ Johnson, Howard Levy, Ryan Cohan, Tito Carillo, Gary Bartz, Alfonso Ponticelli, Ernest Dawkins, Geof Bradfield, Dee Alexander, Mark Gross, Alyssa Allgood, Thaddeus Tooks, Victor Garcia, Mike Allemana, Mai Sugimoto, and Paul Marinaro.