The genre-bending The Jason Seed Stringtet blends jazz, folk, and classical elements – but keeps it all feeling timeless.
The band - a mix of Milwaukee and Chicago musicians - performs original pieces, but also doesn’t shy away from covers of Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, and other influential artists. Their first album The Escapist was released in 2011, and they just finished their sophomore release In the Gallery.
While the group may be called The Jason Seed Stringtet, Milwaukee-based founder Seed admits that the others in the band are as responsible for where the song ends up as he is.
“We might change, from one rehearsal to the next, our idea of what we want the piece to be like - so in a way we are co-composers," says violist Helen Reich.
That doesn't mean composing comes easily all the time. Lead guitarist Seed says he's been rewriting a piece called "Krakow" for years - and he's no longer sure which version he's on now.
“Having ideas and having them develop – for me – I just try to let them go wherever they themselves want to go. And I try to stay out of the way as much as possible," Seed says.
The stringtet - which also includes bassist Dan Armstrong, violist Glenn Asch - will play a CD release show tomorrow night at the Sugar Maple in Bay View.
