The Westerlies

The Westerlies – Wish The Children Would Come On Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 16, 2023 · Comments off

Four young Seattle brass players, all relocated to New York City to study at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music, decided to form a quartet in late 2011. Through much experimentation they discovered a colorful collective sound that drew from American folk music, indie rock, jazz, and classical music. For the next two years they performed constantly in both cities, creating and developing a large repertoire of original compositions. In early 2013 The Westerlies were approached by their Seattle-based teacher, friend, and mentor, Wayne Horvitz, to create a record of his music. They wholeheartedly agreed; all four of them were already very familiar with his body of work and had played in a number of his ensembles. After exploring his prolific output of the past thirty years, they selected a range of jazz tunes, film music, and classical chamber pieces, and chose to record them on location during their annual summer residency in the San Juan Islands of Washington.

The collaborative process between Horvitz and The Westerlies proved to be challenging and fruitful. On the process of arranging Horvitz’s music, Willem de Koch explains that “the unorthodox instrumentation both forced and allowed us to find our own approach to the music, simply because we can’t follow many of the conventional idioms of traditional jazz.” Riley Mulherkar adds, “The process of arranging varied from tune to tune – some are deconstructed and abstracted from their original context, while others are played nearly verbatim to the sheet music. Improvisation is woven into the fabric of everything we play, so whether in an exposed solo or hidden as a texture behind a melody, we are constantly finding new ways to interpret the music in the moment.” Horvitz’s unique sensibilities shine through in every track; he’s clearly concerned with the sources of contemporary American music, such as blues, jazz, and old-time folk, and his music explores them with a nostalgia not immune to disruption and risk. The Westerlies’ vibrant interpretations of Horvitz’s music makes this album an evocative view of one of America’s most engaging genre-bending artists.

(more…)

The Westerlies – Wherein Lies the Good (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 16, 2023 · Comments off

Wherein Lies the Good, the third album from Seattle-bred, Brooklyn-based brass quartet The Westerlies, presents a radical reimagining of the American song. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), The Westerlies approach this ferociously unique set of music with the full breadth of their expressive palette: the delicacy and precision of the concert hall, the breathless spontaneity of a midnight jam session, and the earthy grit of a backyard hoedown. Following a series of high-profile collaborations with Fleet Foxes, Common, Theo Bleckmann, and Dave Douglas, The Westerlies return to their quartet roots with a broad collection of original compositions and arrangements of time-tested American songs.

(more…)

The Westerlies – The Westerlies (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 16, 2023 · Comments off

These four childhood friends from Seattle formed The Westerlies in New York in 2011. Following their critically acclaimed Wayne Horvitz tribute, Wish the Children Would Come On Home, this self-titled release is a double-disc set featuring 14 original compositions by all four band members, as well as pieces by Ellington and Ives and a British folk ballad arranged by Sam Amidon and Nico Muhly. The Westerlies bring together jazz, improvisational, classical and folk feels and approaches, reflecting their individual musical interests and sensibilities as well as their studies at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music. The listener can hear each composer gently tugging the ensemble in the direction of his own taste, and the band follows, expressing their friendship through musical empathy.

(more…)

The Westerlies – Move (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · April 25, 2023 · Comments off

This album is something we never thought possible when we played our first notes together a decade ago. It pushed us to the brink of our abilities, and forced us to find sounds and extended techniques we didn’t know existed. It challenged us emotionally, forcing us to confront our purpose as an ensemble after spending over a year apart in lockdown. More than anything, it revealed to us – in small, sacred moments — a world of possibility for the next decade and more.

(more…)