Teiku explores rare Jewish melodies as conduits for spontaneous musical expression. Chicago pianist Josh Harlow and Detroit percussionist Jonathan Barahal Taylor founded Teiku upon discovering that both of their families stewarded unique sets of melodies sung on the holiday of Passover. Drawing a direct line between the melodies that they grew up singing and the Black American creative musical traditions that they revered, they set to work on crafting arrangements to explore these ancestral melodies as conduits for spontaneous musical expression. Additionally, Passover tells the story of exodus and stresses the need for liberation of all peoples, positioning this music as an offering to the continuum of liberation music fundamental in jazz history. Made complete by bass clarinetist Jason Stein and bassist Jaribu Shahid, the band moves effortlessly between infectious groove, raw density, subtle timbral explorations, complex mixed meter, and electronic processing. The band’s lineup, split evenly between Detroit and Chicago-based musicians, gives Teiku a singular sound that represents a coming together of rich histories from these two deeply important musical cities. Teiku is an Aramaic acronym that roughly translates to “unanswered question,” a fitting description of the process of discovery that creative improvisers know well: creating spontaneous and cohesive sonic environments that are felt viscerally but cannot be expressed in words. Their self-titled 2024 debut was a meditation on Harlow and Barahal Taylor’s family histories, while their 2026 Sophomore LP Klang, released on Detroit’s Ginkgo Records, expanded on this reinterpretation of traditional sounds by drawing source material from the wider community, rare manuscripts, voice recordings, and memories of late-night ritualistic chants. Teiku is hailed as “masterful” and a “testament of the power of music to transcend time and space” by Downbeat Magazine and “liberation music in the truest sense” by All About Jazz. Sammy Stein from the Free Jazz Collective lauds Teiku as “Outstanding,” noting how the quartet “treats [historical music] as living, evolving material, adapted to modern trends of exploration, divergence, and freedom of playing.” Scott Yanow, in his review of Klang for LA Jazz Scene writes that Teiku provides “an utterly fascinating exploration.” This performance marks Teiku’s Detroit Jazz Festival debut. Expect masterful interplay between the quartet that reflects deep contemplation and raw expression. Unique family Passover melodies become vehicles for deeper discovery and ultimately, transformation. The melodies are transfigured, deconstructed, and reframed, but their essence— that of gathering, collective power, and remembrance — remains.