Racer Session #320 | Daniel Webbon Sunday | April 17, 2016

This Sunday at the Racer Sessions, Seattle drummer/composer Daniel Webbon will present his composition "St. Helena." Read on for a window into Daniel's work:

St. Helena: for Drum Set and Fixed Media

"St. Helena is a small and extremely remote island in the South Atlantic. It was used by the British as a waypoint during ocean crossings and is a prominent feature in Thomas Pynchon’s novel, Mason & Dixon. I have never visited St. Helena, and I probably never will, but Pynchon’s description left a powerful impression on me, particularly his line, “The Wind, brutal and pure, is there for its own reasons.” As I began to get a sense for this piece and where it wanted to go, this scene from Pynchon’s novel, this idea of constant wind, brutal and pure, resonated strongly with me.

"I wondered if I could build a formal and harmonic structure that was strongly teleological but limited enough so that this issue of time would be at the forefront."

I’ve been in such wind. On the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye, the same Atlantic trade winds blow constantly. All activity and every point of reference is made in relation to the ever present wind. And I wondered if such a thing could be said about time in music. I wondered if I could build a formal and harmonic structure that was strongly teleological but limited enough so that this issue of time would be at the forefront. I wanted to comment on the rather peculiar phenomena of the performer having a click-track which only they can hear and in doing so explore the idea of ever-present but rarely instantiated time."

Daniel Webbon presented his piece “St. Helena” for solo drums and electronics.

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Improv 1: Andrew Olmstead (piano), Katie Jacobson (voice), Andrew Forbes (pocket trumpet), Keeli McCarthy (drums)

Improv 2: Howard Londner (drums), David Balatero (cello), Bryan Lineberry (alto sax)

Improv 3: Faith Purvis (accordion), Chris Icasiano (drums), David Balatero (cello), Janna Webbon (violin)

Improv 4: Neil Welch (soprano sax), John Harrison (drums), Haley Freedlund (trombone)

Improv 5: Evan Woodle (drums), Andrew Forbes (pocket trumpet), Taylor King (guitar), Josh Jones (bass)

Improv 6: Katie Jacobson (voice), Katie ? (voice), darlenYa (voice)

Improv 7: Colton Foster (bassoon), Andrew Olmstead (piano), Geoff Traeger (drums), Byron Svendsen (bass)

Improv 8: Neil Welch (tenor sax), Bryan Lineberry (alto sax)

Improv 9: Jim Knodle (trumpet), Andrew Olmstead (piano)

Improv 10: John Harrison (drums), Nick Rogstad (trombone), Taylor King (guitar), Josh Jones (bass)

Improv 11: Sarah Pyle (flute), Andrew Stiefel (viola), Faith Purvis (accordion), Keeli McCarthy (drums), Haley Freedlund (trombone)

Improv 12: Michelle Hutchinson (drums), Aaron Otheim (piano), Janna Webbon (violin)

Improv 13: Andrew Forbes (pocket trumpet), Daniel Webbon (piano), Devin Bews (drums)

Improv 14: Chris Icasiano (drums), Colton Foster (bassoon), Faith Purvis (piano), ? (piano), Luke Bergman (bass)