BlueStem Jazz featuring Graham Marlowe Lakewaves Trio

Graham Marlowe is a Madison-based keyboardist and “synthesizer graffiti artist”, instrumental solo artist (Lakewaves) and producer specializing in jazz, rock, ambient, and astrometric space music, with a solid background in classical, avant-garde, film scoring and other formats. He also draws heavily upon a found sound sample library, built from many years of odd jobs, a lifelong interest in bargain bin treasures and a passionate, photosynthetic view of the world.

Graham prides himself on a colorful discography and performance history that includes county fairs, tribal celebrations, three hour bar gigs, nonprofit fundraisers, weddings and even spontaneous gatherings held at an abandoned factory. His blissful and experimental music leans toward a calmer, meditative and mind-uplifting travel music, with an album commissioned by Madison area float centers to prove it. Whether it's an existing band, a Dead tribute band or his own Lakewaves Trio, [he]'s always ready to lean in with genuine chemistry, with an improvisational style that allows everyone to shine.

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Mason Aumanstal (aka Mamo; bass and groove mechanic) grew up near the Rocky Mountains and even nearer the city of Denver. Mason started playing upright bass at 12 and transitioned to electric bass soon after. After playing in, around, and adjacent to country and Americana acts in Madison for over 10 years, Mason moved back to make electronic noises to satisfy the chaotic nature of his mind.

Will Bailey is an underground-chic Madison-based producer, drummer/percussionist and sound engineer specializing in live sound, live bands and just about sonic project your imagination might need help in realizing. His quietly virtuosic chops allow him to play any style fluidly, from dubbed-out reggae jams, rock and jazz from all eras and avant-spacey psychedelia, and he can play in the moment to meet any musician (or group of musicians) at whatever level they're operating at. Despite a more word-of-mouth presence around his sound engineering and production work, Will stays very active as a local in-demand drummer, playing conductor in two other up-and-coming Madison indie bands: CoMingle, a psychedelic pop jam outfit that likes to play in odd meters and explores sonic history; and Maestranza, a soul-jazz fusion group led by guitarist/arranger Nathan Relles that combines head-bobbing, non-sequitur-driven originals with 60's-era jazz/rock covers like "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Cannonball Adderley.

Lakewaves Trio is a Madison-centric, groove-based outfit that crafts celestial originals with an eclectic, progressive, soundscape-y instrumentalism that's pretty much guaranteed to get an intense response from your local community no matter where you are – a Motel 6 in Pittsburgh, an abandoned factory in south Milwaukee or aquinceañerain East LA. And like their offbeat, [Zach] Galifianak(ian) song titles allude to, the experimental music creates a fitting soundtrack to anything from bank robberies and impromptu dance parties to other cinematic activities.

LAKEWAVES TRIO

Led by Graham Marlowe, an eccentric Wisconsin-based keyboardist/pianist, “synthesizer graffiti artist” and instrumental solo artist (Lakewaves), the Trio likes to follow its unusually gratifying formula of adapting "solo Graham (i.e., Lakewaves)" material into dreamy tangentials, turning vocal and non-vocal covers into uniquely arranged instrumentals and spontaneously composing to the vibe of the rooms they play to, creating an infectious ambience you can treat your ears to for hours.

The Impressionistic, Carter-administration melodicism of Marlowe's compositions is something of a perfect match for the jazzy, exploratory low end of Mason Aumanstal (“Mamo”) and the breezy, old-school dynamism of Will Bailey's drums and earthy percussion. With a refreshing blend of musicianship, humor and rent party mystique, the Trio's shapeshifting live sets vary widely from night to night, sometimes using guest musicians to add/subtract layers, open up structures or flesh out wordless covers. Their tracks are imagistic and crackle with psychedelia, which sometimes sets an irreverent, Dada-absurdist backdrop for the unusually enjoyable music.

Some describe [the Trio] as “ambient prog-funk” or “a looser Medeski Martin & Wood”. Others describe [it] as being out for Cosmic Bowling Night with a cosmic infusion in their cocktails.

Presented by BlueStem Jazz:

https://bluestemjazz.org/

and Audio for the Arts:

https://audioforthearts.com/

This event is BYOB

Host or Publisher Audio for the Arts