Drazek Fuscaldo and Yea Big at Rozz-Tox -- September 25.
Friday, September 25, 8 p.m.
Rozz-Tox, 2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
Beautiful, spiritual jazz composed and improvised by an acclaimed set of touring artists will fill Rock Island's Rozz-Tox on September 25, venue favorite Stefen Robinson of Yea Big and his friends Przemyslaw Krys Drazek and Brent Fuscaldo performing a Drazek Fuscaldo duo set, a solo Yea Big set, and a little bit of a combined trio to close out the night.
Drazek Fuscaldo (formerly Mako Sica) is the dynamic, freeform duo Przemyslaw Krys Drazek (electric trumpet, mandolin, electric guitar) and Brent Fuscaldo (vocals, electric bass, harmonica, thumb piano, gong, percussion). They are composers who transcend categorical confines but weave together ideas that, as Dereck Higgins puts it, “sound like group meditation.” They invite the spirit of improvisation when joined by guest musicians. Their ongoing collaboration with percussion master Hamid Drake has resulted in multiple live performances and releases on the Feeding Tube and Astral Spirits labels. Their album June 22 features legendary Chicago artists Joshua Abrams, Tatsu Aoki, and Thymme Jones, and was rated among Pitchfork’s 30 Best Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2023. Their collaboration with reedist and multi-instrumentalist Stefen Robinson, a.k.a. Yea Big, along with Tatsu Aoki, resulted in the album Fishes (Island House Recordings).
Yea Big is Stefen Robinson, solo and in collaboration. Robinson is a multi-instrumentalist whose compositions, performances, and recordings range from hip-hop to electro-acoustic to free improvisation. In addition to Yea Big, Robinson is a member of the bands, Nønl!near Fi3ld and Shoshin Trio, and he directs Normal Community High School Experimental Ensemble. His longest ongoing collaboration is with rapper and producer, Kid Static. Other recent collaborations include duos with Tatsu Aoki, Jon Mueller, Shane Parish, and Ryan Scott Mattingly, et cetera. He records and performs on occasion with Drazek Fuscaldo. Robinson is also a repeat contributor, live and on record, to Stephen Holliger’s, Swim Ignorant Fire. And the summer of 2025 saw him release a duo cassette with Furious Neighbor on Breaching Static. Robinson's most recent Yea Big project is a duo LP with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof, released by Personal Archives, September 2025.
Drazek Fuscaldo and Yea Big headline their Rock Island engagement on September 25, admission to the all-ages 8 p.m. concert is $10-15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)200-0978 and visiting RozzTox.com.
