THE WESTBOUND SITUATION TRIO
Thursday, November 10th @ 7:30 PM
A Confluence of Classical Chamber Music, Jazz and Bluegrass
“…Here you have one of the most new, exciting developments
for the American String band!” —Mike Marshall
Kerrytown Concert House is delighted to welcome to its stage the innovative string band Westbound Situation! Blending the precision of classical chamber music with the rhythmic drive of bluegrass and the improvisatory expression of jazz, the group has created a new style of chamber music which they describe as “chambergrass.” A fitting kaleidoscope of genres for our Kaleidoscope Series.
While the group typically performs as a quartet along with cellist Zach Brown, the band is excited to present to KCH audiences a program of their music reimagined for an intimate trio configuration, featuring Grant Flick (violin), Jake Howard (mandolin), and Jacob Warren (bass). With mixed instrumentation that includes both plucked and bowed string instruments, The Westbound Situation Trio will present a program of original compositions that explore a vast range of texture and articulation, including material from their 2019 album “Pilot,” and a preview of selections from their forthcoming second album to be released in 2023.
The group formed out of the 2016 Acoustic Music Seminar (AMS), a program run by multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall. All four members of Westbound Situation were two time participants, an honor reserved only for a few exceptional candidates.
Westbound Situation’s exciting and diverse concerts feature a set of unique original repertoire colored with recognizable standards from many genres. With bluegrass, classical chamber music, and jazz all coming together in the group’s concept of chambergrass, a Westbound Situation concert is dazzling musical journey not soon forgotten.
These artists appear through the courtesy of Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates.
COVID-19 Policy for Indoor Concerts at Kerrytown Concert House
- Masks are strongly encouraged and available as needed.
- Please do not attend a performance if you are feeling ill or have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Grant Flick of Bowling Green, OH, has been playing and performing for the past seven years on many instruments including violin, mandolin, and tenor guitar. Primarily, his interests are jazz/swing, bluegrass, and new acoustic music.
He has received numerous music awards including the 2013 Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, and he was a 2015 finalist in the Walnut Valley Festival Fiddle Competition in Winfield, KS. Grant has taught workshops at the Tenor Guitar Gathering (Astoria, Oregon), the Falling Waters Music Camp (Ithaca, New York), and Augusta Bluegrass Week 2017 (Elkins, West Virginia). He has performed at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Red Wing Roots Festival, Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering, and many other festivals. Frank Vignola, Mike Marshall, Julian Lage, and Darol Anger are just some of the notable musicians with whom Grant has appeared on stage. Grant is currently and undergraduate attending the University of Michigan studying Jazz Performance.
Jake Howard offers a promising and captivating preview for the future of mandolin. His career has evolved from hours hunched over YouTube and sticky-floored bar gigs to his roles now as the mandolinist for the Henhouse Prowlers and Westbound Situation. Starting at the age of fifteen, Jake found himself enamored with roots music. Less than three years after he first started playing his Kentucky A-style mandolin, Jake began studying with another idol and future mentor, Joe K. Walsh, at the Berklee College of Music, ultimately graduating with a B.A. in Performance and American Roots Music.
Jake’s playing has a distinctive curiosity, always looking for more. His mandolin is first and foremost a tool of emotional expression where he can examine the relationship between roots music and intense sentiment. Jake is equal parts impactful player and versed teacher instructing at programs such as Savannah Music Festival’s Musical Explorers in partnership with Carnegie Hall, Bluegrass Ambassadors, Ossipee Valley Music Camp, Berkeley Music Festival, Berklee Five Week and String Intensive and Julian Fiddle Camp in addition to teaching private instruction. Jake considers himself to be a lifelong student and values the privilege of sharing his experiences in music with others.
Jacob Warren, of Ann Arbor, MI, has a passion for acoustic music that has led him to pursue a wide range of musical genres, from classical to Cajun, folk, jazz and more. He loves to blend these influences and find the connections between genres. Intense collaboration and continuous learning are some of the greatest joys Jacob has in music and in life. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in 2017 where he was one of five graduates to receive the prestigious Earl V. Moore Award. He also completed a Master of Music in Improvisation and a Master of Music in Chamber Music from the University of Michigan in 2019. Jacob’s diverse virtuosity has allowed him to participate in prestigious programs spanning many genres including the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloist Program, and the Acoustic Music Seminar, among others. Through his music, he has the opportunity to perform in a wide array of venues—the Mariinsky II Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia; Royal Albert Hall during the London Proms; and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival to name just a few.
