MOSSWOOD SOUND SERIES
MATTHEW WELCH(bagpipes), DIANE GRUBBE(flutes) and
Josh Allen(sax) perform a concert of solo compositions and improvisations.
MATTHEW WELCH presents a solo set focusing on Anthony Braxton's #247, a species of Braxton's Ghost Trance Music written especially for Welch's bagpipes. Woven around the long-form Braxton #247, Welch will present more of Braxton's smaller solo works, fragments of Philip Glass's music and selections of Welch's bagpipe compositions and improvisations.
DIANE GRUBBE performs Mario Lavista's "Lamento" for bass flute and Orlando Jacinto García's "cuando el mar besa al malecon" for piccolo, flute, alto flute, bass flute, and electronics.
Tenor Saxophonist
Josh Allen performs a solo improvisation that strives to present non linear visual concepts in sonic linear form. Josh uses technique; multiphonics; poly and pan tonality; rhythmic units based in cell structure composition; an array of cycling tones; and the performance space itself as part of his instrument.
Josh Allen has created his own personal language on the tenor saxophone, with an emphasis on polytonal and asymmetrical phrasing, as well as extending the range and sonic ability of the instrument. He does this with constant emphasis and study of the overtone series, and the generation of multiphonics from the application of this process. He is currently teaching Fellowship students at the Brubeck Institute at the University of Pacific. He was born in Berkeley, California in 1972. Like many of today’s prominent musicians, Mr. Allen was a product of the Berkeley public school system, studying saxophone starting at the age of nine under Phil Hardymon. He went on to study with such prominent Bay Area musicians as Bill Aron, Joe Henderson, and Rory Snyder. With his focus squarely on jazz composition and performance, Mr. Allen moved to Southern California in the early nineties to study with Rick Helzer at San Diego State. He became active in the Latin Jazz community, and worked with various musicians such as Dennis Chambers, and Eddie Palmieri. Mr. Allen’s return to the Bay Area in the mid 90s to finish his Bachelors degree at Sonoma State. His association with saxophonist Marco Eneidi led to working relationships with musicians such as Glen Spearmann, Matthew Goodheart, Damon Smith, and eventually Cecil Taylor.
Drawn to the evolving tonal possibilities of the flute,
DIANE GRUBBE enjoys studying and performing contemporary works. Notable performances include the US premiere of John Wolf Brennan’s solo flute piece, Drei ver-flix-te Stücke and appearances in the Bay Area retrospective of Pauline Oliveros’ work where she performed Trio for Flute, Piano and Page Turner with Sarah Cahill and Monique Buzzarté. She often performs with the contemporary music ensemble sfSoundGroup and has been a guest performer with Earplay, Eco Ensemble, Santa Cruz New Music Works and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Diane has appeared as a soloist with the Siena Music Festival in Italy, the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, L’Orchestre de Notre Dame in San Francisco and the Calabasas Chamber Orchestra in Southern California, with whom she recorded the Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto for their CD The Baroque. Since 2004, Diane has been the flautista in Quinteto Latino, the Bay Area wind quintet specializing in classical music from Latin America.
Hailed as “The Eddie Van Halen of the bagpipe” (PopMatters),
MATTHEW WELCH is a virtuoso bagpiper, critically acclaimed composer, improviser, husband and dad living in the SF Bay Area, California, USA. As a virtuoso-piper, he is both an established master of the traditional repertoire, and a leading pioneer of new innovative techniques and improvisations, as well as collaborations with Philip Glass, Anthony Braxton, Julia Wolfe, Alvin Lucier, David Watson, Zeena Parkins and John Zorn. He has recorded for Tzadik, Cataloupe, Mode, Orange Mountain Music, Leo, New World, Carrier and Room40 labels, and founded his own label Kotekan Records in 2018. He has led his pipe-rock ensemble Blarvuster since 2002. “Pushing the bagpipes to their limit, Welch’s exploration of the bagpipes' sonic potential is thrilling to witness.” - The Wire Magazine
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Cost: $10-$25 sliding scale