The Westerlies
$15 ($5 students)
Riley Mulherkar and Zubin Hensler, trumpets
Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch, trombones
The Westerlies – a New York-based brass quartet comprised of four childhood friends from Seattle – return to their hometown in anticipation of their forthcoming sophomore double-album.
Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” take their name from the prevailing winds from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), The Westerlies explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Equally at home in concert halls and living rooms, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.
The Westerlies’ four members were childhood friends and sometime musical rivals in their hometown of Seattle – they regularly competed against each other in regional competitions. Each member independently moved to New York City, which led to the old friends reconnecting and performing together. Since their inception, The Westerlies have shared the stage with such diverse acts as Radiolab, Bill Frisell, Vieux Farka Toure, and Juilliard Dance.