School of Music's Western Jazz Quartet rolls out new CD at concert

KALAMAZOO—The Western Jazz Quartet will present a local release concert focused on the group's critically acclaimed new CD "Free Fall" at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. 

Admission is $12 at the door, or free with the purchase of a $15 CD at the door. Student admission is $5. A free reception will follow the concert.

While "Free Fall" is the group's sixth CD, it is the first with new members Andrew Rathbun on sax, Jeremy Siskind on piano and Keith Hall on drums. They join the group's founder, bassist Tom Knific.

About the album

"Free Fall was released to capacity crowds at performances in New York City and Chicago and has received rave reviews from DownBeat, Jazz Times and many other print and online publications. Jazz Times called it "an absorbing musical adventure."

Currently enjoying international airplay, "Free Fall" is a release of BluJazz Records.

"Free Fall" is a concept piece based on Felix Baumgartner's historic sky jump Oct. 14, 2012, which set records for height at 24 miles and free-fall speed at 843.6 miles per hour. The evocative music on the CD is both a tribute to, and a soundtrack for, his daring endeavor. The titles of the nine compositions are taken from direct quotes by Baumgartner or his trainer, and the pieces trace his journey from the hot air balloon ascent and anxious moments in the stratosphere to the free fall and final parachuting—another record at 5000 feet—into the desert.

Western Jazz Quartet

The Western Jazz Quartet has toured on five continents and throughout the United States, receiving sterling reviews of its six CDs of original music. The group has toured as artist ambassadors for the US Department of State and appears at clubs, festivals, schools and universities worldwide.

For more information about the concert, visit wmich.edu/music or call (269) 387-4667.