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Formerly “Viewscapes”

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YAZZ Band: New Normal

July 30, 2021 • Washington State Magazine • Season 1 • Episode 9

0:00 | 4:39

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Listen to a review and tracks from YAZZ Band: New Normal, a new jazz album recorded during the pandemic lockdown by Regents Professor of music Greg Yasinitsky at Washington State University. Along with guest musicians, Yasinitsky made the "little big band" sound from tracks recorded all over the world and then produced at the WSU recording studio.

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[jazz music]

This is Viewscapes. Stories from Washington State Magazine. Connecting you to Washington State University, the state, and the world.

In this episode, we sample tracks from the latest CD from Greg Yasinitsky, titled YAZZ Band: New Normal, which was released by Origin Records last January. He is a Regents Professor and the coordinator of Jazz Studies at WSU, where he also teaches composition and saxophone.

[upbeat jazz music]

The first track is entitled G.P., which in music stands for “Grand Pause.”

This explains the scattering of short breaks in this up tempo arrangement.

The music on this album can be thought of as a kind of laboratory for Yasinitsky’s uniquely orchestrated arrangements, written for a smaller ensemble and produced through multi-track recording. Yasinitsky refers to it as a “Little Big Band.”

Another arrangement on this album evokes a totally different feeling. Here is “Song for Laura.”

[mellow jazz music]

Because of the pandemic, instrumental tracks done in isolation came from faraway outposts including Los Angeles, Baton Rouge and even Italy. Tracks were assembled, mixed, and mastered in the Washington State University Recording Studio.

Here is “Blues for Becker.”

[instrumental jazz music]

Musicians on the album include Vanessa Sielert, Horace Alexander Young, David Larsen, John Harbaugh, Vern Sielert, Dave Glenn, Gabe Condon, Jake Svendsen, David Bjur, F. David Snider, Dan Bukvich, David Jarvis, Francisco Torres, Willis Delony, and Teo Ciavarella. YAZZ Band: New Normal was made possible by a generous Fellowship from the Center for Arts and Humanities at Washington State University.

CDs are available through Origin Records, Amazon, and the tracks may be downloaded at Bandcamp dot com.

Thanks for listening to Viewscapes—a monthly podcast from Washington State Magazine.

For more reviews, WSU stories, videos and photos, visit magazine dot wsu dot edu.