“Tom Schraeder sings with the sorrow of a man twice his age.”
— Michelle Meywes, Gapers Block (Nov. 3, 2008)

If you don't know his name, it's not for lack of effort on his part: over the past decade, Chicago singer/songwriter Tom Schraeder has released an astonishing 22 albums of original material, under his own name and any number of others, constantly moving forward to the next challenge. Proving himself equally adept at roots-inflected folk, jangly alt-country, boozy Americana, eerie lo-fi home recordings, lush ambient soundscapes and even Beck-esque forays into hip hop and electronica, Schraeder is, as always, far from finished--but, at least for now, he's taking the time to look backwards, for a change.

Born in part of a desire to showcase the songs he can still stomach after a decade of recording, Schraeder's 23rd release is 23 tracks representing every phase of his musical identity, clocking in at an hour and (of course) 23 minutes, a not-so-subtle homage to a hometown hero: Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

True to tongue-in-cheek form, the name of this career-spanning retrospective is Schraedest Hits. Again: of course.

“Schraeder often has tendency to bite off more than he can chew. That’s the way it goes with creative types, always reaching for the stars. But what would we do without these visionaries steadfastly believing they can achieve the impossible?”
— Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Illinois Entertainer (Aug. 20, 2012)

In 2006, Schraeder had played high-profile gigs at Lollapalooza and CMJ, even before the release of his The Door, The Gutter, The Grave EP had established him as someone to watch in a city overflowing with talent. After performing hundreds of shows on the road promoting his next twelve albums, which included memorable performances at the Kennedy Center, South By South West and the Chicago Country Festival, Schraeder found himself road-weary and worn down. He hung his hat in the city he’d always called home, trading his touring days for a full-time Midwestern residence in 2012.

Still, it wasn't long before that irrepressible work ethic started nagging at the back of his mind, and somehow—between releasing four more records and composing original music for film and television projects—he founded and curated Chicago, I Love You…, the Second City's only free multimedia art festival, featuring over 500 musicians, filmmakers, painters, sculptors, dancers, cinematographers and writers. Building on the festival’s success, he hosted a number of other free Chicago street festivals, often to benefit various local charities. This period of focus and stability also found his backing band (collectively known as Tom Schraeder & His Ego) settling into its most powerful lineup to date.

Schraedest Hits, however, is not just a testament to the band's current roster, but to the dozens of friends, acquaintances, collaborators and chance encounters who have made up His Ego throughout its existence. More a mixtape than a true compilation, it's Schraeder's way of paying homage to everyone who has allowed him to capture unique, unforgettable moments in audio form.

“A moving sound, equal parts alternative-country, cornfield psychedelia and Neil Young, marked him as a real talent — and no, that observation isn’t at all influenced by the fact that I can say I knew him when.”
— Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times (Aug. 3, 2007)

Tom Schraeder & His Ego currently consists of keyboardist Dan Moulder, drummer Russ Mallord, bassist Dan Ingenthron, guitarist Ryan Joseph Anderson, vocalist Kate Adams, and Tom Schraeder.

Schraedest Hits also features performances by producer Jimmy Giannopoulos, of Lolawolf, Mars Williams of the Psychedelic Furs, singer/songwriter Jennifer Hall, Brian Fox of Allout Shelter, Kenley Collins of Project Runway, Cameron McGill of Margot and The Nuclear So and So's, Ignit of Natureal, trombonist Nick Broste, producer/composer Matthew Nurse, Austin songwriters/producers Jesse Woods, Danny Malone, guitarist Chris Mosley, and recording engineers Tim Sandusky, Noam Wallenberg and Matthew Smith.

- Evan Jones Thorne (9.1.2016)