Racer Session #542 | Josh Hou & Ray Larsen | Sunday May 1st, 2022

Hello, improvising friends!

We’re excited to kick off the first day of May with a Racer Session at 7pm, featuring music by Ray Larsen (trumpet) and Josh Hou (accordian), from their recent release, The Horn Bellows!

In the spring of 2021, Ray and Josh started playing duets on the deck of Josh's house: Josh masked up and Ray sitting in a tiny one-person COVID trumpet tent. Filled with exuberance at the simple pleasure of making music with another human being after a long quarantine, they continued playing deck sessions regularly. Week after week, they played, collecting a series of duets that eventually culminated in their recent album, The Horn Bellows.

可惜都係一片霧海 / Too Bad It's All a Sea of Fog, from The Horn Bellows by Josh & Ray

We encourage you to have a listen to their new record, and read their blog post below to get a better idea of what you can look forward to, and then join us this Sunday, May 1st at 7pm for their set and the improvised jam session that follows!

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“Hello folks! We are pleased as heck to get to play our music for you, and hope you enjoy it. This music is coming from a straight-up jazz background, and usually employing a standard head/solo/head format. BUT even though we'll be using pre-determined formal structures and written material, the interpersonal communion and in-the-moment communication to which we aspire is not very different in this music than it might be (and will be!) in a freely improvised context. It's all about listening and responding, and being authentically "there" with each other, right? Yes, of course.

And though we will all come to the session bringing our own ingrained structures -- the experiences and influences that inform our improvisatory choices -- may we seek always to listen deeply, respond authentically, and contribute our full intent on the success and beauty of the ensemble's creation. Cool! See you there!”

- Ray and Josh