The Jazz Gallery Presents: Erica Seguine & Shan Baker Jazz Orchestra

This Saturday, The Jazz Gallery is pleased to welcome the Erica Seguine & Shan Baker Jazz Orchestra back to our stage for two sets of performances. The band has built a sturdy presence in the New York area over the past decade, developing a substantial book of tunes that reflects the composer/bandleaders multifaceted personalities. This summer, the band went into the studio to record their debut album—the album is currently in the editing & mixing phase, so stay tuned for news about its release.In a previous interview with Jazz Speaks, Seguine & Baker talked about how they go about developing each composition. Seguine offered this perspective:

When composing, I try to tell a story. Things often need to take time to develop. If you try to introduce a theme and suddenly say “We’re going this way instead, or we’re going to do this whole arc in three minutes,” it doesn’t feel like enough time to develop. Even in a small group, soloists take their time developing ideas. Rarely do you hear someone jump in, then jump right back out. As a composer, regardless of the size of the group, I want to develop the progression of the story by giving each section the time it needs.

This patient sense of gesture comes across clearly in Seguine's composition, "Leaves Swirling Through the Dusk Sky," which you can check out below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZj47_IyMrAThe Erica Seguine & Shan Baker Jazz Orchestra plays The Jazz Gallery on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The group is conducted by Ms. Seguine and features Ben Kono, Remy Le Boeuf, Shan Baker, John Lowery, Quinsin Nachoff, and Andrew Hadro on reeds; Nathan Eklund,  John Lake, Nikola Tomic, and Rémy Labbé on trumpets; Scott Reeves, Tim Shneier, Bob Bennett, and Becca Patterson on trombones; Sonia Sundelson on voice; Meg Okura on violin; Eric Burns on guitar; Martha Kato on piano; Evan Gregor on bass; and Paolo Cantarella on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. $20 general admission ($10 for members), $30 reserved table seating ($20 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.