Rob Mazurek

Mazurek was born in Naperville, Illinois in 1966, and played trumpet and cornet in high school. After high school he attended the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago, and began playing gigs with local jazz musicians. In the early 1990s, he played hard bop with his first quartet, featuring drummer George Fludas, bassist John Webber, and pianist Randolph Tressler. This troupe booked an extended set of gigs in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Scottish label Hep Records released three albums of theirs, in 1994, 1995, and 1997.

In 1996, Mazurek founded a workshop at Chicago jazz club The Green Mill called Chicago Underground for the performance of avant-garde, improvisatory jazz. By 1998, a new ensemble had formed around this idea, featuring guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Chad Taylor, bassist Noel Kupersmith, and trombonist Sara Smith. As the Chicago Underground Orchestra, this ensemble released several albums on Chicago's Delmark Records. Mazurek continued to form groups under the Chicago Underground umbrella, performing as the Chicago Underground Duo and Chicago Underground Quartet.