Racer Session #534 | Illegal Son | November 21, 2021
Hello, fellow improvisers!
We hope you’re doing alright out there, wherever there is for you. If you joined us for Jim’s session a couple of weeks ago, thank you! It was so nice to see you. That opening set and the improvisations that followed felt great to listen to and play, and really laid the foundation for the Racer Sessions to follow. We’re working on re-establishing our livestreams so you can tune in from home, in Seattle or otherwise - thanks for your patience and we’ll keep uploading the archival footage in the day or two after the session takes place.
Now it’s time for another Racer Session! This Sunday we’re featuring Illegal Son, a trio from Portland, Oregon, featuring the music and direction of trombonist Denzel Mendoza. Some of you may remember the session they presented in 2019. This iteration of Illegal Son features Matthew Holmes on bass, and Carlos Andres Moreno on drums.
Denzel is known musically for his musical contributions to Haley Heynderickx, Kulululu, Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE), and the GRAMMY award-winning ensemble American DREAMers, an ensemble made up completely of young people who qualify for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. He has an intense musicianship and dedication to his craft - the evidence is present in everything he works on.
One of the funny quirks of being a musician in the age of social media is that knowing the broader scene and meeting new musicians is easier than ever. Denzel and I were trombone friends on Instagram, bonding over our shared love of our instrument and using it outside of the confines of traditional trombone genres. Shortly after that, we ended up playing a festival called Pickathon the same summer, and the bands we were touring with camped side by side in the Oregon woods. That was in 2018, and in the time since I’ve had the privilege of getting to know him, his wife Aurora, his bandmates, and bear witness to the profound growth he has experienced as a musician and person.
It’s truly a privilege to have Illegal Son back in our house. Denzel has written a thoughtful and candid blog for the occasion, which you can read below. We can’t wait to see you on Sunday at 7pm! If you haven’t been able to make it to the new location yet, remember that we’re on Capitol Hill now - 1510 11th Avenue.
- Haley
Denzel Mendoza, image by Evan Benally Atwood
“I'm currently writing this way past my bedtime. A 12 hour shift behind a greasy flat top and little sleep both helps and deteriorates the creative mind.
”My son was born 8 months ago and I am always tired. Not as tired as my wife, but tired nonetheless. The past 8 months and the 16 months prior taught me many things, but one stands clear; growth. A worldwide pandemic took all of our lives into a void of wondering what's next and what is to fear as well as what is most necessary for us as individuals. I remember creating, listening, and consuming so much material when we all went into lockdown; I was like a moth and information was my dusty light. Of course that light faded into black once I realized that we weren't getting out of this situation anytime soon. I felt like all hope was lost until I found out that I was going to be a father.
”The birth of my son happened one year after lockdown, and what was a dark and depressing period turned into a budding life and provided me with a whole new purpose of living. I've never thought that I would ever feel such an immense amount of love again; every single step I take, every choice I make, and every action I pursue is all working towards the benefit of his life.
”As an Undocumented Immigrant, the journey of fatherhood has been a constant battle of identity. My son, who is an American Citizen, will now have all the privileges that I never grew up with, as well as the safety of not being deported at any second. A part of me is so thankful for the well-being of my son, and another is a disappointed reminder of how cruel and unfair our nation's immigration system is to others. One day I hope to not be under the guise of being Undocumented, but for now this is my story.
”It's been 2 years since Illegal Son has played a real show with a real live audience, the 30 minutes I get to share with all of you will be 2 years of trauma, love, chaos, birth, and sleep-deprivation condensed into one special set. As for the moments to share afterwards, let's think of growth and what's to come next.”
- Denzel