Hal Russell and the NRG Ensemble performed a concert of high energy new jazz at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts on October 15, 1988. Members of the Ensemble included: Hal Russell, Kent Kessler, Brian Sandstrom, Steve Hunt of Chicago, and Mars Williams from New York. The event was held in the performance space in the UICA building on Race Street. It was curated and produced by the UICA Music Committee and supported in part with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.