Événement

TRIPTET / Zubatto Syndicate

Earshot's Jazz: The Second Century series continues into its fifth season, and this year presents eight outstanding groups over four evenings during the month of July. The participants were selected by a blind panel composed of Seattle musicians, music curators, and scribes. As in past years, the goal of the series is to present performances of music that simultaneously question and expand the conventional boundaries and parameters of the jazz form. The descriptions of the bands to follow are as much in their own words as possible. The curious and inquisitive will have to attend these live performances to see how the artists deliver on the concepts below. Their selection for the series signifies the listening panel's faith in their ability to do so.

July 21: TRIPTET / Zubatto Syndicate

TRIPTET is Tom Baker on electric fretless guitar and electronics; Michael Monhart on saxophone, percussion, and Tibetan horn; and Greg Campbell on drums, percussion, and french horn.

Baker: We are a sonically textural band, based on the traditions of free jazz and modern classical experimentation. In July of last year, we set out working on a new record with Steven Walcott from Engine Records in Brooklyn. With his help, we landed on some new ways of making pieces (new to us, at least) with large-form, slow moving textures that accompany a frenetic and fast moving core (usually in the drums/percussion). This has led us to explore some new ground in this trio.

Zubatto Syndicate is a 12-piece big band that incorporates sounds and grooves from hip-hop, rock, funk, soul, and more, as performed by some of Seattle's finest improvising musicians. The band is led by composer and guitarist Andrew Boscardin.

Boscardin: My goal in writing the music for Zubatto was to draw from a variety of contemporary popular sounds and rhythms, creating a sound that would appeal to younger audiences, and listeners outside of the jazz community. My hope is that Zubatto can be a "gateway drug" for jazz and large ensemble creative music, drawing in those that might not ordinarily experience an improvising big band and spark their interest in those traditions and ideas.