Racer Session #382 | Neil Welch | July 9, 2017

Hello Racer Heads!

This week we are joined by saxophonist Neil Welch. Neil is a founder of the Racer Sessions and a longtime member of the Seattle creative music scene. This is his first presentation at the session in over a year. Neil's work is often centered around multiphonics, split tones and other texture colors, in addition to standardized tempered scales and such. Read on dear lovers of the avant for Neil's written thoughts about this week's session

"Friends—At the Racer Sessions this week we will work to encounter performative spaces that intersect meandering melodies / awkward pauses, dialogue and discourse / babbling chatter, particulate sound / immaculate harmonic structures…I’m interested in loosing myself inside opposing forces and witnessing more immediacy on stage. 3 innovative musicians will join me: Kristian Garrard (drums and junk), Katie Levine (piano) and Will Hayes (guitar). My project description to them was:

“The musical space I'd like to explore is the realm between noise and grandpa's favorite old time movie. "

My session this week was inspired by the saxophonist Peter Brotzmann’s concept record called FMP 0130. It features Brotzmann on saxophones, Fred Van Hove on tiny piano/harpsicord/other junk and Han Bennink on trash cans/voice/homemade instruments. The tracks Wir Haben Uns Folgendes Überlegt and Paukenhändschen Im Blaubeerenwald are also excellent examples of the aesthetic that’s interesting me right now. Here are two examples:

For the session to follow, I ask that performers become flexible with their participation. I would like folks to feel encouraged to begin playing at any time, and likewise stop playing when they’re done. The formal structures of “stop-start” in improvs are not going to apply to this session.

Thank you all, and I look forward to seeing you this Sunday at Racer!

-Neil Welch