Racer Session #375 | Sam Boshnack | May 21, 2017
Greetings, Racers!
This week, we welcome Sam Boshnack and her quintet to the Racer stage. Sam, who has long now been a member of the Seattle Jazz scene, is a pivotal, expressive, and creative trumpeter an composer. We've actually been trying to get this session to happen for many many months, but as it goes: when your band is full of some of the town's most talented musicians, it means your band is also full of some of the town's busiest musicians. After a couple of rescheduling bouts, the time has finally come to get this music in front of you and your ears. Sam wrote some words for us below about her thoughts on music and expression, which you can read on for - as well as samples of what you might hear at the session:
"One of the most important contributions music makes to society is it’s ability to display the range of human interaction and collaboration. Some musicians play together for long stretches of time and develop language together, while others explore the beauty and spontaneity of learning how to communicate with each other on the spot. I love witnessing and participating in both. There is so much sadness in the world largely because of people’s selfishness and fear and their refusal to work together - with people they don’t know or to really invest and care in their own community. Music shows an alternative way to “every man for himself.”
"For my first ever Racer Sessions curation I am presenting music for the Sam Boshnack Quintet. This is a group I created about 5 1/2 years ago. These four artists have been by my side and have worked hard to shape what we have become. I love being able to hear their sound in my head when I am composing for them. I love creating different kinds of improvisational backdrops for them to express themselves over. When coming up with a set list for this night, I tried to choose repertoire that covers the range of our time together and the musical endeavors. The group has undertaken a number of projects which have led us down different paths musically. The first was eight compositions I wrote for the band to get us started and we ended up releasing these as our first record in 2014 entitled - “Exploding Syndrome”. In 2014, we also premiered 4 new compositions I wrote about a hero that I have admired since a young age. Nellie Bly was a 19th-century daredevil feminist and journalist who worked within extreme confines to achieve great things for both the subjects she covered (including mental health and prison facilities), and for women in her field. The music moves between the narrative and abstract, creating an imaginative world that channels Bly’s groundbreaking spirit. This music is being released as an album this summer. In 2014 and 2015, we collaborated with Karin Stevens on performances for which choreography was created to my work, and I created work to choreography. You will hear selections from all of these endeavors - I hope you enjoy.
"I am excited to witness and partake in the improvisational portion of the evening. The Racer Sessions provides great opportunity to both interact with someone you haven’t before and cultivate long-lasting collaborations that have developed here."
Samantha Boshnack - trumpet, voice, compositions
Beth Fleenor - clarinet, bass clarinet, voice
Alex Chadsey - keyboard
Isaac Castillo - upright bass
Max Wood - drums