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Called by critics ‘...the ambassadors of the genre’s future’, ‘lightning in bottle’ and ‘a group to watch’, the Wee Trio wasted no time jumping into the vanguard of the jazz scene. A line-up rarely seen in music – vibraphone (what’s that!), bass and drums – contributes the group’s ground-breaking sound. Another factor in their distinctive appeal comes from the group’s habit of looking into modern culture as inspiration for the substance of their music – from using the compositions of contemporary composers from all genres to sonic textures reflecting the atmosphere of both modern New York and the new South.
The Trio, with James Westfall on vibraphone, Jared Schonig on drums and Dan Loomis on bass, came together for a seminal first tour in spring 2007. They had just met on the street in Brooklyn (23rd street in the latest frontier neighborhood being settled by artists – ‘south slope’). It was an unlikely union; the origins of the group could not have been more far flung. Jared grew up in sunny Los Angeles, a child of the valley. Dan came to New York from the heart of the Middle West – St. Louis. James arrived the most circuitously – from Houston (go Astros) via New Orleans via Los Angeles where he had just completed study at the Thelonious Monk Institute. By chance they had ended up living across the street from one another in New York – so the first rehearsal was easy; James just wheeled his vibes across the street.
The musical chemistry in The Wee Trio was apparent from the first notes. Excited by the music that they made on their inaugural tour, the group rushed home to the studio to lay down their debut album in one 4-hour session. The album, Capitol Diner, Vol. 1, went into release in September of 2008. Buoyed by the great critical and popular reception of the album, The Wee Trio took wing across the US to spread the word. The CD-release tour took the group across the country.... from California’s Golden Coast and performances at the Jazz Bakery to New Orleans where their performance at Snug Harbor where they were praised for their ‘immediate musical simpatico’ to a standing-room only in New York’s Cornelia Street Café.
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