The Westerlies

Featuring trumpeters Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands, along with trombonists Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon, The Westerlies sound like no other group in jazz. It’s no mean feat introducing a new instrumental concept after more than a century of jazz-powered innovation, but The Westerlies combine the dynamic precision of a string quartet, the sonic punch of a rock band, and the derring-do of a circus act. Across 10 acclaimed studio albums, the ensemble has reimagined and performed music by a dazzling array of composers and collaborators, including Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Conrad Tao, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, and Theo Bleckmann.

Last year the group released two major projects: Paradise, a breathtaking reimagination of the Shape Note choral tradition; and Songbook, Vol. 3, a live EP and concert film celebrating friends and recent collaborators, including Samora Pinderhughes, Anaïs Mitchell, Aoife O’Donovan, and Joanna Newsom. This year The Westerlies present a major retrospective of new music by mentor Bill Frisell, along with an adaptation of Maria Schneider’s Grammy-winning song cycle Winter Morning Walks featuring South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe. You don’t need a weatherman to know that the most interesting music blows in with The Westerlies.

The Westerlies Website

Personnel:

• Riley Mulherkar, trumpet
• Chloe Rowlands, trumpet
• Andy Clausen, trombone
• Addison Maye-Saxon, trombone