Recorded and released for the Racer Sessions online series, Sunday, April 4th.
"These solo, acoustic improvisations explore improvised melody, drone work, microtones and multiphonics on soprano, tenor and bass saxes. No overdubbing or edits, just straight up improvisation."
Thanks to the Racer Sessions (Seattle) FreeSessions (Missoula), organizers Billy Kautz, Haley Freedlund and crew.
About a year ago I had the honor of doing an interview with the Vail Jazz Society. We discussed my current experiences as a performing artist, and the impact of being a participant in the Vail Jazz Student Workshop in 2003. This was the summer before my first year of college, now about 17 years ago. This camp was a unique and very challenging experience for me. I got in after winning an award at Essentially Ellington, and played my audition over the phone!
Never would I have imagined I'd have the chance to hang for a week with 12 incredible students from around the country, holed up in a room with John and Jeff Clayton, Lewis Nash, Terrill Stafford, and Bill Cunliffe. I was, to say the least way out of my element, nearly overwhelmed with anxiety, and felt like I was barely hanging in there around all these incredible players. But I did hang in there and did my best, and It was a life changing experience. I am so thankful I had that opportunity. Check out the interview here:
This improvisation is an auditory response to the postcard performance series Still Resonating (see the postcard image below). This improvisation features my refrigerator amplified, with a bass saxophone improvisation response track. The track was performed in a single take, awash in digital reverb.
Still Resonating is a series of postcard works created during our COVID era by composers John Teske, Neil Welch, and Nat Evans. From Neil: For nearly 10 years, composer John Teske and I put on a concert called the Secret Forest Show, which allowed us to gather and create resonances in nature. But gathering together is not possible right now. Instead, through Still Resonating we invite listeners to become a performer. Your voice is important, whether heard by you alone or shared with others. We welcome your resonance.
For more information about Still Resonating, to follow the postcard performance series and explore recipient responses, check out the website here: stillresonating.com
Recorded at home immediately after a hail storm, this brief improvisation includes the tenor saxophone with the mouthpiece removed, harmon mute, and a bandana.
A morning meditation at Cape Alava on the Washington State coast, this brief improvisation was recorded in the early morning before striking out on a walk, crawl and climb down the coastline. Cape Alava is a rugged landscape near the northern most point of the Olympic Peninsula, historically home to the Makah Tribe.