Jake Wark is a saxophonist, composer, and improviser based in Chicago. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Jake earned his bachelor's degree in saxophone performance from Nazareth College in 2014, studying classical saxophone with Chisato Eda Marling and jazz improvisation with Paul Smoker. Upon graduation, Jake moved to Chicago to attend graduate school at DePaul University where he studied with Scott Burns. At this time, he began to participate in the city's vibrant improvised music scene. He performs regularly in the Chicago area with Four Letter Words, a collaborative trio co-led with drummer Bill Harris and pianist Matt Piet. Four Letter Words' debut album, Blow, was included on Budd Kopman's "Best Releases of 2016" list. In 2017, Jake is scheduled to release Tremor, his debut album as a leader, which features Drew Gress on bass and Phil Haynes on drums. In addition to these projects, Jake can be heard performing with the Jake Wark/Ben Pedersen Quintet, the experimental trio Bowlcut, Gerritt Hatcher's Refunction, and other ensembles and improvised groupings various venues in Chicago.

[source: Bop Shop website, 2017-Jan-9]