Submitted by Orcas Center.
Oliver Groenewald, a trumpeter, composer and arranger, brings his talented group of jazz musicians NewNet to the center stage.
“We would love to perform for people who love jazz in all shades, colors and from all epochs and continents,” Groenewald said. “We’ll embrace with warm ballad sounds, also driving rhythms and we’ll take the audience with us on the journey of improvised music.”
The band is comprised of Brad Allison, Dan Marcus, Jay Thomas, Travis Ranney, Pete Gallio, Greg Sinibaldi, John Hansen, Michael Glynn and Adam Kessler. They will perform at Orcas Center for a night of tremendous music on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $28 and $16 for students.
If you consider yourself a jazz fan, perhaps you have asked yourself, will America become both the womb and tomb of jazz? No longer supported in any commercial sense, NewNet proves jazz still retains its importance. And while NewNet is clearly influenced by the American art form of Jazz, Groenwald’s ear gives it a distinctly European flavor. He was educated at University of the Arts in Austria and The Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands.
The band first came together in June 2013 when they had their first rehearsal in a room at Cornish College. Groenewald had the good fortune to invite some of Seattle’s top musicians and the even better fortune that they all loved the music, the vibe. The NewNet was born.
NewNet followed up with performances in the Seattle area including the Seattle Art Museum and Earshot Jazz Festival. They had their first concert on Orcas in 2014 featuring Willie Thomas to support the Funhouse Commons.
Then in 2015, the band produced a live video concert “Live at The Chapel” in Seattle. It is clear the quality of the band is derived from the quality and style of each musician and their ability to embed their talents into the arrangements.
While each member contributes to NewNet, each is also working on their own personal projects, careers and building musical history in the Pacific Northwest. Every live performance together becomes its own rare occasion.
In the beginning of 2018, the NewNet recorded its first CD at the Robert Lang studios in Seattle featuring Jay Thomas, one of the founding members of the group. His vision was to record a variety of richly orchestrated ballads. The album grew into what will be presented at Orcas Center during the show, “I Always Knew.”
The concert will include selections of the new album and repertoire of the NewNet, and CDs will be available for purchase.
