About Jamie!
Jamie Demeny (they/she), Chicago-based jazz musician and teacher, has a distinctive musical voice that is all their own. Using their tap shoes, they explore the relationship between sound and movement in a way that is steeped in tradition, while challenging the listeners’ ideas of what percussion can look and sound like. Jamie replaces the drummer in their ensembles, plays melodies, and improvises over song forms. Rather than the flashy extravagance of what one may expect, Jamie’s concentration is on percussive improvisation that is full of musical complexity and integrity.
Studying under Chicago drummers like Isaiah Spencer and TJ Thompson, Jamie has cultivated their craft as a true percussionist and musician. She plays in a way that contributes an often unheard, vibrant texture to the jazz idiom. In their jazz ensemble, Jamie Demeny & Friends, Jamie and their tap shoes take the place of the drum set. Jamie’s ensemble plays from a vast repertoire, from video game soundtracks, to contemporary musical theatre compositions, to the Great American Songbook, and other selections of jazz and beyond.
In late 2023, Jamie released her debut single, the Athletic Theme from Yoshi’s Island. Playing with some of the best musicians in Chicago, Jamie’s arrangement of a classic video game tune comes to life in a way never heard before. It’s available on all streaming platforms, and the music video is available on YouTube.
Click here to listen and watch :)
Since graduating from Elmhurst University in 2020 with their BA in Musical Theatre and minor in Dance Education, Jamie has cemented herself in the Chicago jazz scene, and expanded their work as an educator as well. Rather than choreographing routines for their students, Jamie's private lessons and classes focus on improvisation, music theory, creating melody and time through movement, and inspiring and encouraging their students to foster their own artistic voice.
Frequenting Chicago venues Epiphany Center for the Arts, R2V2 Festival, Elastic Arts, Fulton Street Collective, Dorothy, the 21c Museum Hotel, iO Theatre, Clara, and many more Jamie Demeny & Friends create unforgettable musical experiences that challenge the genre of jazz and beyond. When not bandleading, Jamie has been a featured artist at the Green Mill, the Hyde Park Jazz Fest, and the Aragon Ballroom. She also plays private and public events with Ruby Taps, traditional jazz with The Do-Rights Jazz Band, and big band repertoire with the Lakeside Pride Jazz Orchestra.
Music Video - Yoshi's Island Athletic Theme - Jamie Demeny & Friends
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