Racer Session #413 | Scrambler | March 11, 2018

Greetings Racers!

This week we are so, so excited to welcome friend of the session, Christian Pincock, to present his new ensemble, Scrambler! Christian is a trombonist, composer and educator who creates and works with a wide range of music. With a firm background in jazz performance and composition, he plays concerts and leads educational workshops in Seattle and on tour across the United States with various groups and solo trombone/custom electronics.

Scrambler makes a musical mash by combining large quantities of jazz, several cups of classical music, a tablespoon of folk and a dash of sound effects, whisked together through a conducted improv sign language called Soundpainting. Some of Seattle's finest improvisers contribute their own unique and diverse flavors, mixed in real-time under Christian Pincock's direction. Past recipes have included reworkings of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and 80's pop love songs for Valentine’s Day.

Christian is thrilled to premiere Scrambler at the Session, so please make it out to the Session this Sunday at 8pm for their set! Christian has also written a blog for us this week, so read on to learn more about the project and check out some provided links. See you soon!

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"Each week, for many years, Café Racer has been the home to the Racer Session until it’s relocation following the café’s closing last year. Now that Café Racer has reopened week and the session is back in its home, it’s clear that Café Racer has been a cultural home to me as well as others in our communities and its return there feels significant and meaningful. I’m excited for this opportunity to recognize the importance of this homecoming by having my new group Scrambler present “Home, Sweet Home” which explores the sentimental feelings surrounding one’s home as well as the ideal of creative exploration which this particular community embodies. We will incorporate melodies associated with the idea of home as well as melodies which are personally sentimental.

It’s also worth mentioning that this new group has its roots in the Racer Session and its community. For the past 3 years, I have presented adapted versions of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite at the Racer Session’s annual holiday party using live composition and conducted improvisation to deconstruct and reconstruct its well-known themes. After this past performance in 2017, I formed Scrambler as a way to develop the sign language more in-depth with an ensemble. We’ve been preparing for a debut show on 3/26 at The Royal Room but this last-minute opportunity is a one I didn’t want to turn down!"

For reference:
Christian Pincock on Facebook
Deconstructing The Nutcracker–2017
Walter Thompson's Soundpainting website