John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) features the diverse compositions of trombonist, composer and arranger John Yao.  Yao’s lyrical soloing and expressive, round tone combined with his creative hunger for exploring the boundaries of harmony and rhythm in his compositions and arrangements have established him as a unique musical talent and forward-thinking jazz talent.  In 2023, Yao earned a place in the Rising Star Trombone and Rising Star Big Band categories in the DownBeat Critics Poll.  This performance will feature new works from his forthcoming suite “Continuum” to be recorded in early February 2024.

For tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-yao-his-17-piece-instrument-tickets-801693024417?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) features the diverse compositions of trombonist, composer and arranger John Yao.  Established in 2014, the 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York City’s finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for over a decade and have had a profound influence on his compositional style.  “At times angular and broken, other times linear and swinging, he offers a broad view of the possibilities of jazz composition,” says Jim McNeely of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.  In celebration of his birthday month of August, the JY-17 will perform the music of jazz legend Charlie Parker.  The band will premiere several new arrangements that will put a new spin on Bird’s music.

John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) features the diverse compositions of composer, arranger, and trombonist, John Yao.  Established in 2014, the 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York City’s finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for over a decade and have had a profound influence on his compositional style.  “At times angular and broken, other times linear and swinging, he offers a broad view of the possibilities of jazz composition,” says Jim McNeely of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.  The Midwest Record proclaims the JY-17 debut album “Flip-Flop” (See Tao Recordings) “A must set for big band fans that want to hear something that takes the form into the future, this blows the ears open in a mighty way”.  Yao founded the Big Band & Beyond Concert Series which included three concerts premiering new works for big band. In 2016, the JY-17 held a six-month residency at the ShapeShifter Lab in Brookyln, NY.  Yao’s unpredictable and inventive compositions and arrangements spring from the tradition while pointing towards future portals.  

For more info, please visit www.johnyao.com

Big Band Double Bill

Performing new and original works for Big Band

Two Bid bands share the stage at the Greenwich House Music School

7pm - Sankt Annae Big Band

8-9:30pm - John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument

$10 Cover

John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) is the long-standing passion project of trombonist and composer John Yao featuring his original compositions and arrangements which explore the boundaries of harmony, color, texture and rhythm. The 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York City’s finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for many years. Yao’s compositions and arrangements are post-bop, experimental and aim to explore new sounds for big band. “At times angular and broken, other times linear and swinging, he offers a broad view of the possibilities of jazz composition,” says Jim McNeely of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Downbeat says, "[Flip-Flop] showcased Yao's unpredictable compositions and inventive arrangements, which spring from tradition while pointing toward future portals."

Featuring:

John Yao - Conductor, Trombone

Saxes:

Billy Drewes

Hashem Assadullahi

Jeremy Powell

Jasper Dutz

Frank Basile

Trumpets:

Nick Marchione

John Lake

Charlie Porter

David Neves

Trombones:

Matt McDonald

Mark Patterson

Sam Blakeslee

Max Seigel

Rhythm Section:

Hyuna Dunkel

Bob Sabin

Andy Watson

John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) is the long-standing passion project of trombonist and composer John Yao featuring his original compositions/arrangements which explore the boundaries of harmony, color, texture and rhythm.  The 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York City’s finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for many years.  Yao’s compositions and arrangements are post-bop, experimental and aim to explore new sounds for big band.  TheMidwest Record proclaims JY-17 debut album Flip-Flop (See Tao Recordings) “A must set for big band fans that want to hear something that takes the form in to the future, this blows the ears open in a mighty way”.  Downbeat says, "[Flip-Flop] showcased Yao's unpredictable compositions and inventive arrangements, which spring from tradition while pointing toward future portals." In celebration of his birthday month of August, the JY-17 will perform the music of jazz legend Charlie Parker. The band will premiere several new arrangements that will put a new spin on Bird’s music.

Trombonist/composer John Yao reconvenes his audacious three-horn quintet Triceratops in celebration of its bold, inventive second album 

Off-Kilter, out June 10, 2022 via See Tao Recordings, features Yao with saxophonists Billy Drewes and Jon Irabagon, along with bassist Robert Sabin and drummer Mark Ferber

"Yao’s compositions hold the kind of steady, swinging cadence of classic Blue Note bop, but with a definite post-bop edge in their spikey harmonies.” – Jackson Sinnenberg, DownBeat 

"[Yao’s] music swings, lopes and races forward. All five of the bandmembers share command of their instruments and a likeminded sense of joy that makes the album feel like an amusement park ride: energetic, exciting, yet safe." – Franz A. Matzner, All About Jazz

 Musically scratching that prehistoric itch, trombonist/composer John Yao has once again unleashed his three-horn terror Triceratops on unsuspecting listeners with the band’s even more audacious second outing, Off-Kilter. The album title is an apt one, vividly capturing the exhilarating sense of risk-taking and disconcerting invention that make up this boldly unpredictable album.

Due out June 10, 2022 via Yao’s own See Tao Recordings, Off-Kilter reunites the brilliant frontline from Triceratops’ 2019 debut, How We Do – saxophonists Billy Drewes and Jon Irabagon along with Yao himself – and drummer Mark Ferber. This time the chordless quartet is completed by bassist Robert Sabin, a longtime collaborator with Yao’s 17-Piece Instrument big band.

While How We Do featured some of Yao’s most envelope-pushing music to date, he deliberately stretched the limits even further on Off-Kilter. The compositions are at once daringly complex yet expansive and open, challenging these gifted players while offering limitless space in which to venture and discover.

“I set out to write music that was freewheeling and open,” the trombonist explains. “I tried to strike a balance between structured, complex compositions with loose, open space for improvising.  The music offers plenty of freedom and opportunity for interaction between the players.”

It doesn’t hurt in that effort to share the stage with two such unfettered saxophonists. Drewes is a veteran whose approach blurs the boundaries between a variety of styles; he came of age in 1970s NYC alongside the open-minded likes of Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell, with whom he recorded and toured in Paul Motian’s band. Irabagon is a prolific and irreverent player with a seemingly limitless collection of horns (on Off-Kilter he supplements his tenor with the miniscule soprillo saxophone). He’s worked with a who’s who of modern jazz including Dave Douglas, Mary Halvorson, Barry Altschul and Mostly Other People Do the Killing.

Important in any band, a rhythm section is especially crucial to a chordless group like Triceratops, even more so given the liberties that Yao allows – even encourages – in the free-ranging improvisations throughout the album. Mark Ferber is a in-demand drummer who can be heard on more than 200 recordings, including dates with Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock, Fred Hersch, Don Byron, Ralph Alessi, Marc Copland and Brad Shepik. On Off-Kilter he combines a sly precision with a buoyant spirit that maintains a core of infectious joy in even the most chaotic of moments.

Sabin proves to be a perfect fit for the band, lending the tunes a robust spine whenever necessary but with a slippery, elastic sensibility that maneuvers empathically with the horns’ eccentric deviations. “Robert is a very open, exploratory sort of player,” Yao says. “His attack and articulation can be a little more aggressive and he takes a lot of liberties with the instrument in a way that I really enjoy. His open-minded willingness to explore uncharted territory, harmonically and rhythmically, is something that the music really called for.”

The album opens with the darting lines and erratic grooves of Drewes’ “Below the High Rise,” the sole piece not penned by Yao. The tune’s sharp angles give way to vast open space, setting the tone for the album as a whole by quickly pulling the rug out from under the undaunted musicians. They challenge one another as well – Yao’s blustery solo is unexpectedly pierced by Irabagon’s flitting, high-pitched soprillo, sending the trombonist off into abrupt, soaring detours.

The title of “Labyrinth” suggests the feeling of wrong turns and tight corners embodied by the piece, with sudden surprises around every corner from tautly coiled funk to stealthy grooves to raucous eruptions. It’s followed by the first of two interludes that shine a spotlight on Ferber, with sculptural drum solos over a bed of bass and horns. They’re prime examples of Yao’s compositional approach, which aligns this small, chordless group with his big band in its use of intricate architectures and lush backgrounds.

“Quietly” is a wavering, sinuous ballad, while “Crosstalk” bursts into a swaggering funk out of some otherworldly car chase. “Unfiltered” is built on a foundation of rich, colorful three-horn harmony suspended over a floating time feel, whereas “The Morphing Line” is another shape-shifting composition atop the rhythm section’s muscular foundation. The title tune hurtles the album to an end at an untethered, breakneck pace.

“I love this band's ability to go wherever everyone collectively or individually feels like they want to go,” Yao concludes. “That was such an amazing thing to be a part of. It’s something you can’t predict when you write a piece of music, but then you put it in front of players like Billy, Jon, Bob and Mark, and it becomes a thousand times better than anything you could have come up with.”

The JY-17 is back again at the Culture Lab LIC! If you can’t join us in person, there is a live stream available here: JY-17 LIVE STREAM LINK. I’m thrilled to be joined by this amazing lineup of great musicians.

John Yao - Composer, Bandleader, Trombone

Saxes - Billy Drewes, Hashem Assadullahi, Tim Armacost, Frank Basile

Trumpets - Nick Marchione, John Walsh, Andy Gravish, Scott Wendholt

Trombones - Matt McDonald, Mark Patterson, Sam Blekeslee, Max Seigel

Rhythm Section - Piano (TBA), Robert Sabin, Andy Watson

$10 cover charge.

John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument (JY-17 for short) is the long-standing passion project of trombonist and composer John Yao featuring his original compositions for big band. The 17-piece ensemble is comprised of New York City’s finest jazz musicians including members of Grammy- award winning ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, both of which Yao has been a regular substitute for many years. Yao’s compositions and arrangements are post-bop, experimental and aim to explore new sounds for big band. The Midwest Record proclaims JY-17 debut album Flip-Flop (See Tao Recordings) “A must set for big band fans that want to hear something that takes the form in to the future, this blows the ears open in a mighty way”. Downbeat says, "[Flip-Flop] showcased Yao's unpredictable compositions and inventive arrangements, which spring from tradition while pointing toward future portals." In 2016, Yao founded the Big Band & Beyond Concert Series which featured the premier of new works for the JY-17 as well as a six-month residency at the ShapeShifter Lab in Brookyln, NY.

Featuring:

Saxes: Michael Thomas, Hashem Assadullahi, Tim Armacost, Remy LeBouf, Frank Basile

Trumpets: Nick Marchione, John Walsh, Dave Neves, Dave Smith

Trombones: Matt McDonald, Mark Patterson, Jimmy O'Connell, Reggie Chapman

Rhythm Section: Randy Ingram, Robert Sabin, Vince Cherico