Theo Bleckmann & The Westerlies - This Land - Bleckmann is always an intriguing singer; here he teams up with a brass quartet
Theo Bleckmann and The Westerlies present This Land, a new collaborative project that merges the candor of the human voice with the limitless expressiveness of brass, highlighting the power of music to invigorate protest movements and provide internal solace amidst external turmoil. This Land features original compositions as well as arrangements and settings of voices of truth from past and present, including Bertolt Brecht, Joni Mitchell, Woody Guthrie, Agha Shahid Ali, and others. Bleckmann delivers the words of these luminaries with the utmost precision and clarity, using his impeccable technique and command of live electronic effects to evoke sounds that range from the brightest clarion to the murkiest dark. The Westerlies exploit all of the expressive capabilities of their instruments, sometimes brazenly heroic, sometimes painfully intimate. Fearless improvisers and generous collaborators, these artists form an ensemble that is lithe, organic, and formidably cohesive. Although stalwart in their resistance to the boundaries of genre, Bleckmann and The Westerlies welcome the listener into their world with open arms. This Land is a universe all its own. There is an inherent sense of power, solace and beauty in these songs; the message is resistance, but the music is irresistible.
Theo Bleckmann - Voice & Live Electronic Processing The Westerlies: Riley Mulherkar - Trumpet Chloe Rowlands - Trumpet Andy Clausen - Trombone Willem de Koch - Trombone









