Racer Sessions: Janna Webbon
Free
Janna Webbon, violin
Daniel Webbon, drums
Andrew Olmstead, keyboard
Austin Larkin, performance artist
"We are presenting a piece that I performed with Renew Music Group at Baylor in 2013. The idea started with Matt Shaver and Alex Phillips, and we as a group of 8 amended and added to the idea. We wanted a performance piece to comment on political elections and how the public creates a persona for what might as well be a blank slate. The name, “Casting,” is kind of a double entendre. You are casting a vote for someone by painting on a person, but you are also casting them in a role that is preconceived in your mind. The musicians improvise according to what each member of the audience paints."
In the incarnation of this piece at Racer Sessions, we invite the audience to paint on a single person using primary colors. We ask that you be courteous to Cafe Racer and keep the paint limited to the performance artist and to not splash paint anywhere on the ground. Please come and join us and be a part of the piece.
About Racer Sessions
Seattle record label Table & Chairs organizes weekly sessions that explore composition and improvisation. The Racer Sessions takes place promptly at 8:00 and lasts until 10:00 every Sunday evening.
Our mission is to give musicians of all backgrounds and ages the opportunity to interact with and inspire one another, while establishing a community-accessible home for this music, which might otherwise only exist in classrooms, basements, outer space, etc.
What Happens
Every Sunday at Cafe Racer, we feature a different artist or group who perform original music and provide a short explanation of their creative process. Afterwards, a jam session takes place, often based on the concepts and approaches outlined in the opening presentation.
The Racer Sessions’ musical focus is primarily centered on improvisation—particularly free or collective improv—and frequently incorporates the aesthetic and techniques of avant-garde jazz and classical music. However, we firmly believe that, as the name suggests, free improvisation should not be limited to any particular style, creed or approach, and we warmly welcome musicians of any persuasion to share their voice.
How to Participate
During the jam session, groups spontaneously form in the room to the side of the stage. There is no sign-up process, though on occasion, the featured artist may take a more active role in organizing groups. If you’d like to play, please make yourself known to a group or to the featured artist (or anyone who looks like they know what’s going on).
To prepare for each session, we recommend that everyone reads our weekly blog, which features a post from the upcoming session’s featured artist on the process of creating his or her piece, as well as recommended listening, approaches or meditations to prepare you for the jam session.
Every featured artist’s presentation and jam session is recorded and documented on the Racer Sessions website.
If you are interested in being a featured artist at the Racer Sessions, please contact racersessions@gmail.com.
Come on By!
We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes in advance to get a good seat, grab a drink or some food, and to say “howdy!” to folks. Also, be sure to check out the Table & Chairs’ merch table, which contains physical copies of albums by our growing roster of artists.