Opening set from The John Otten Quintet begins at 6:30pm

The Westerlies are a New York based brass quartet comprised of four friends from Seattle, Washington. They stretch the limits of conventional chamber music by emphasizing original composition and improvisation, to create music that resides in the ever-narrowing gap between contemporary classical composition, jazz influenced improvisation, and North American folk music. In addition to their own performances, The Westerlies have collaborated on projects with vocalists, live electronic performers, and an assortment of other instrumentalists. By bringing these collaborations to non-traditional venues and audiences unfamiliar with experimental music, The Westerlies seek to present chamber music as an organic and dynamic means of artistic expression in the twenty-first century.

The Westerlies were formed in Fall 2011 and have performed at The Royal Room, The Local 269, The Sunday Dinner Movement, Juilliard School of Music, SoHiTek Gallery, The Piano Studio, and a smattering of DIY venues. They have appeared on stage with Alisha Roney, Jason Burger, Sam Yulsman, Wayne Horvitz, and Bill Frisell.