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Seattle City Hall , Noon
tom Varner
Free
Critically acclaimed jazz French horn pioneer Tom Varner premiers new works for his forward-looking quintet. The quintet features some of Seattle's most dynamic jazz artists: Mark Taylor and Eric Barber on saxophones, Phil Sparks on bass, and Byron Vannoy on drums. A repeat Jazz Times and Down Beat readers poll winner, Varner is often regarded as "the French horn in contemporary jazz," as Berendt and Huesmann wrote in The Jazz Book. A resident of Seattle for a few years, now, Varner has not just mastered his challenging instrument, and not just deployed it in a rare, jazz setting; he has raised it to great heights as a powerfully expressive and driving jazz instrument. His technical skills are astonishing, and are equaled by his vision as a composer, and his spirit as a player. Back in New York, his small combos recorded some of the most impressive albums of the 1990s, and here he presents a Seattle outfit that will certainly rank with those.
This performance is part of Seattle Presents, a year-round series of free performances at City Hall presented by the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.
tomvarnermusic.com
