Racer Session #337 | Jen Gilleran & Neil Welch / Ryan Beckley | August 14, 2016

Hello Racerheads!

This Sunday we're very excited to have two separate groups presenting at the Racer Sessions. The evening will begin with an improvised duo featuring longtime collaborators Jen Gilleran and Neil Welch, followed by a solo guitar set from New York transplant Ryan Beckley. 

Jen Gilleran is highly involved in the intersecting worlds of sound and cinema, having scored a number of works now in the field of silent film. Her work with saxophonist Neil Welch is a deeply personal affair, with the two sculpting soundscapes that explore found objects of antiquity (such as metals, old tools, wood brushes) paired with Neil's highly developed use of extended saxophone techniques.

Ryan Beckley, New York guitarist, composer and former Seattleite, is a sculptor of dark musical landscapes. He often performs seated on the ground faced away from the audience, not a posturing of disregard for his audience but instead an indication of his contained, emotionally reflective style of live creation--one man, one instrument, one audience.

As always, thank you for your support of improvised music and helping to make the Racer Session community a truly thriving environment for Seattle and beyond. We'll see you this Sunday, August 14th at Cafe Racer!

Neil Welch (tenor sax), Jen Gilleran (percussion and electronics), and Ryan Beckley (guitar) opened the session with three improvisations.

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Improv 1: Chris Icasiano (drums), John Broback (synthesizer), Brandon Herzberg (guitar)

Improv 2: Jim Knodle (trumpet), Jeremy Gonzalez (alto sax), Brennan Carter (trumpet), Ray Larsen (trumpet), Schuyler Asplin (trumpet), Andrew Olmstead (piano), Samuel A Crome (alto sax mouthpiece and neck), Dio Jean-Baptiste (drums), Chris Carter (trumpet)

Improv 3: Aaron Otheim (piano), Brandon Herzberg (guitar), Jay MD (drums), Brendan McGovern (alto sax), Max Bessesen (alto sax)

Improv 4: Evan Captain (piano), Zach Perna (guitar), JMD (drums), Jeremy Shaskus (tenor sax), ? (clarinet)

Improv 5: Thomas Campbell (drums), Rory Ganon (guitar), Jeremy Shaskus (tenor sax)

Improv 6: Schuyler Asplin (trumpet), Zach Perna (guitar), Chris Cole (trumpet), Keeli McCarthy (drums), Brendan McGovern (alto sax)