Heisenberg Uncertainty Players

Biography

Heisenberg Uncertainty Players (HUP) is a jazz big band formed in 2011 in the Chicago area by leader and founder John Dorhauer, who composes and arranges all of their exclusively original music. Featuring some of the finest big band performers from the Chicago music scene, HUP has delivered over 200 public performances at premier venues like The Jazz Showcase, Martyrs', and Fitzgerald's Night Club, establishing itself as a mainstay for more than 15 years. The group has earned multiple Illinois Arts Council grants for recording projects and performed at the Ear Taxi 2021 Festival.[1][6]

HUP's musical style is eclectic and unique, blending jazz big band instrumentation with rock, R&B, fusion, and classical elements, while avoiding traditional straight-ahead swing. Dorhauer's quirky arrangements reinterpret beloved rock and pop albums, such as The Beatles' Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, Heart's Dreamboat Annie, Wings' Venus and Mars, and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. They are renowned for themed performances covering boy band history, heavy metal, blues, 90s music, movie soundtracks, and symphonic movements, alongside original works like The Basketball Suite (NBA-inspired) and the nine-movement multimedia suite We Tear Down Our Coliseums (homages to demolished baseball stadiums).[1][5]

Recent recordings include the 2020 album Gradient, which received national and international radio airplay and is available on major streaming platforms, as well as music for upcoming releases like Return to the Enchanted Forest. Early works include the CD Emergency Postcards, noted for its modal jazz, unusual time signatures, technical virtuosity, youthful exuberance, and humorous, poignant compositions.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• HUP's name references the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in physics, though it has no direct scientific connection, as noted by reviewers.[2]
• The band has performed full arrangements of iconic rock albums like The Beatles' Abbey Road and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, blending them with big band jazz.[1]
• Their Emergency Postcards CD drew comparisons to Paul Horn Quintet, Dave Brubeck Quartet, and Miles Davis for modal jazz and unusual time signatures.[2]
• HUP created a nine-movement multimedia suite, We Tear Down Our Coliseums, each honoring a demolished baseball stadium.[1]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• John Dorhauer - Leader, founder, musical director, composer, and arranger (All compositions and arrangements including Gradient, Emergency Postcards, The Basketball Suite, We Tear Down Our Coliseums) [2011-present]
• Chris Parsons - Guitarist in rhythm section (current and early lineups) (Gradient, Emergency Postcards) [Early 2010s-present]
• Dan Parker - Bassist in rhythm section (current and early lineups) (Gradient, Emergency Postcards, Cactus Fruit) [Early 2010s-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz