ALVIN COBB JR. TRIO

A native of Atlanta, Alvin Cobb, Jr., is a drummer, composer-songwriter, producer, and photographer currently based in Chicago. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune once wrote, “Here was a drummer who can make his instrument sing, the lyricism of his work sustaining listener interest…Cobb has emerged as a distinctly charismatic player.” Graduating from Florida State University (B.A.) and Northwestern University (M.M.) with degrees in Music Performance, Alvin has gone on to work with countless artists, including Chance the Rapper, Nola Adé, Marcus Printup, Sherman Irby, Victor Goines, Dee Alexander, Patricia Barber, and Sarah Marie Young.

He is the leader of the Alvin Cobb, Jr. Trio with bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst and pianist Julius Tucker. The group formed during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to independently produce livestream concerts that would help raise funds for grassroot charity organizations based in Chicago. Since 2020, the trio has been featured on various publications and radio stations including NPR, held residencies at Chicago area music venues while also touring nationally, and was nominated for Best Jazz Ensemble in 2022 by the Chicago Reader. Also in 2022, Alvin began composing and performing, accompanied by this trio, new original film scores to the existing silent film works of legendary Black film pioneer Oscar Micheaux (Chicago Tribune Article). Alongside these new feature film scores, the trio released its critically-acclaimed debut album, “You’ll Need This Later,“ showcasing Alvin’s original compositions, in May 2024. This album earned features on NPR, Worldwide FM, JazzFM UK, and made Bandcamp Weekly’s “Best Albums of 2024“ list. Alvin’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “The Chase and The Runaway,” is set to be released in July 2026.