Onstage company
Documented collaborators
The Last Word Quintet emerged from a 2017 collaboration at Chicago's Uptown Poetry Slam, bringing together four musicians with poet Marc Kelly Smith to form a distinctive blend of poetry and song. Praised for its novel poetic conversation and urban storytelling, the group combines jazz instrumentation with spoken-word performances to create a live experience that feels like a conversation in motion. Whether you’re new to the scene or a longtime fan, this is a band that invites you to lean in, listen closely, and secure your seats for their next performance.