Bassist, composer and educator Ashley Summers is a Canadian-born, Chicago-based artist whose talents have brought her to stages all over the world. Known for a lyrical style that is punctuated by a sinewy impetuousness, Summers’s artistic perspective has a striking sincerity that is both invigorating and nostalgic. Her new quintet, ‘Ashley Summers’s Raîson d’Être’, features longtime collaborators Daniel Bruce, Daniel Murphy and Chris Baker as well as the outstanding young tenor saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi. Her long-awaited debut album as a leader, featuring saxophonist Seamus Blake, was recently released on March 24th, 2017, on the ears&eyes label.