Terminal 4

Terminal 4

Terminal 4 is a Chicago-based experimental quartet led by cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. The group brings together Lonberg-Holm with bassist Josh Abrams, trombonist Jeb Bishop and guitarist Ben Vida.

Formation and members

Lonberg-Holm forms the group after working across the New York and Chicago experimental scenes. He studies composition with Anthony Braxton and Morton Feldman, then moves to New York, where he plays with Braxton’s Creative Orchestra, John Zorn, God Is My Co-Pilot and other groups. After relocating to Chicago in the late 1990s, he works with Ken Vandermark, Jim O’Rourke, the Peter Brötzmann Tentet, The Flying Luttenbachers, US Maple and many others before starting Terminal 4.

The quartet includes Josh Abrams, known from the David Boykin Octet; Jeb Bishop, associated with Vandermark 5 and The Flying Luttenbachers; and Ben Vida, from Town and Country.

Music and style

The group’s music combines composed material with improvisation, and it draws on pop forms, improvisational jazz and avant-garde chamber music. The arrangements are described as carefully orchestrated and subtle, with cello often taking a leading role and the other instruments creating delicate melodic textures. White noise elements are also woven into the music as part of the ensemble sound.

Recording

Terminal 4’s self-titled debut appears in 2001 and runs for around forty minutes. It includes pieces such as “Slinky” and “A.D.”