Racer Session #538 | James Falzone | Sunday March 6th, 2022

Hello, friend of the session!

We’ve arrived in March and find ourselves in a place of transition, from colder weather into something warmer, short dark days into something brighter. Not to mention, the constant changes within our society, locally and globally. Who better to present in this in-between time than our friend, the clarinetist James Falzone? James is a musician well-accustomed to transitions of all sorts, both as an improvisationally-focused performer, as well as the head of the Cornish music department, a unique and beloved home for creative music that continues to grow and adapt to its needs and circumstances.

He is an acclaimed member of the international jazz and creative music scenes, a veteran contemporary music lecturer and clinician, and an award-winning composer who has been commissioned by chamber ensembles, dance companies, choirs, and symphony orchestras around the globe. He leads his own ensembles Allos Musica, Elaía Ensemble, Renga Ensemble, and the duo Wayfaring with Chicago bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst, and is a member of the Tapestry Voice Ensemble and Pneuma, a quartet with clarinetists François Houle, Michael Winograd, and Israeli vocalist Ayelet Gottlieb. James has released a series of critically acclaimed recordings on Allos Documents, the label he founded in 2000, and appears on numerous recording labels including Delmark, Songlines, and Rounder. James performs throughout North America and Europe, appears regularly on Downbeat magazine's Critics' and Readers' Polls, and was nominated as the Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. He has been profiled in the New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, New Music Box, and Point of Departure, among many other publications.

Find some words from James below:

“I'm always honored to play on the Racer Sessions and doubly so when I can offer a solo set, which is an approach to improvisation I have been working with over the last 15 years. I often refer to my solo improvisations as The Already and the Not Yet; while I'm engaged in the moment (the not yet), there is nothing sounding that is not arrived upon without commitment, practice, time, and intent (the already).

Then, after my set, as always, I look forward to hearing the many creative sonic makers who will take part in the open jam session, a vital part of Seattle's music scene.”

- James