Racer Session #509 | Brendan McGovern | February 23, 2020
Greetings, Racers!
This Sunday at 8pm, we will be hosting saxophonist Brendan McGovern!
Brendan is a woodwind multi-instrumentalist and lifelong Seattleite who graduated from University of Washington Jazz Studies program in 2017. He traveled and played his alto sax through Latin America and elsewhere in 2018 as a recipient of the UW Bonderman Fellowship. Since returning in November 2018, he now teaches and plays music professionally around town. He is part of several different musical groups, including psych rock band Forest Ray (playing flute, sax, and keys), volunteer activist brass group Rise up! Action Band, and since March of 2018 his own group, Brendan’s Little Big Band (BLBB). BLBB is what Brendan will present this Sunday. Some words from BM:
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“BLBB has gone through different iterations of members, but it is now comprised of myself on tenor and alto saxophones (sometimes other things!), Ethan Robb on trumpet, Marc Smason on trombone/vocal, Jerome Smith on trombone/tuba, Jack Gravalis on guitar, Court Crawford on bass, and Michael Toman on drums. They play mostly my original music, inspired by my love and gratitude to the different eras and phases of jazz, the avant-garde, improvised music, but also has its roots in classic rock, ska, pop, and RnB. The songwriting is fueled and inspired by local politics, and our collective struggle for humanity and solidarity the cruel, harsh realities of the capitalist system.
After the little Big Band plays a few pieces, we will open it up for the Racer session. My bandmates and I hope that attendees will be curious to try improvising on a new or unfamiliar instrument. I’m happy to offer a trumpet, plastic trombone, various cheap flutes/recorders, saxophones, clarinet, or flute for anyone who wants to try it for an improvisation. If you would prefer to play your own instrument, or one that you know how to play, then perhaps try playing it in an unfamiliar or unorthodox way. I want to see how we can exercise our ability to create music when we are more “at the mercy of the instrument” as opposed to the other way around. We are looking forward to it!”
