Bill Harris

Bill Harris is a percussionist, sound artist, improviser, and audio engineer in Chicago. He also operates and produces for Amalgam, a Chicago-based label and collective, and co-operates Chicago recording studio and performance space Marmalade.

Bill is a prominent Chicago-based percussionist, sound artist, improviser, audio engineer, and curator working in areas of improvisation, jazz, noise, rock, and bluegrass. Presented both nationally and internationally, Bill's work focuses on a number of dedicated groups, ad hoc groups, and solo work, with over three decades of studying, practicing, and creating music. His work has been presented at Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Moody Center for the Arts (TX), The Renaissance Society (Chicago), Hammer Museum (LA), Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago), Relincha Festival (Chile), and Ragdale (Chicago), to name a few.

Additionally, Bill focuses on solo work incorporating acoustic and electronic material, using feedback and timbral manipulation. He has recorded four solo records: Atropa (2025), MACRODOSE (2024), Blinking Glue (2022), and ONOMAT (2021).

Some of his most frequent collaborators include Ishmael Ali, Avreaayl Ra, Fred Jackson Jr., Carol Genetti, Mabel Kwan, Jason Stein, Edward Wilkerson Jr., Emily Beisel, Allen Moore, Timothee Quost, Dave Rempis, Jim Baker, Norman Long, PT Bell, Gerrit Hatcher, Mai Sugimoto, Eli Namay, Peter Maunu, Nick Meryhew, Matt Piet, Brianna Tong, Jess McIntosh, Aaron Smith, Keefe Jackson, and Josh Berman.

In 2015 he started Amalgam, a 100% artist-run collective and label dedicated to showcasing works of improvised and experimental music in Chicago and elsewhere, with a bi-monthly series at Cafe Mustache. Amalgam has been widely recognized in publications such as The Wire, and has been a vital tool and resource for promoting both emerging and established artists from Chicago and elsewhere, drawing from and representing the hugely diverse and collaborative music scene of Chicago. Bill is also an audio engineer working in both studio and live contexts, and operates an independent studio in Chicago with engineering, mixing, mastering, and production credits on labels such as Astral Spirits, Aerophonic Records, Clean Feed, Trost, No Index, 577 Records and Ears&Eyes. In 2020 he started and co-operates a recording studio and performance space Marmalade, where he also curates performances for local and traveling artists.

Available Areas: North, West, Central, East, South, Chicago Metro

Core Audiences: Adult, Children, General

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