Chemical Reaction

Covalent Bond: Woestehoff (left) says "coffee, persistence and luck" kept the band together.

UArts saxman Brian Woestehoff on learning jazz by osmosis.

by Shaun Brady

Born in Minneapolis, saxophonist Brian Woestehoff moved to Philadelphia to study at the University of the Arts under "local gurus" John Swana and Chris Farr. In 2000, he formed his current quartet with classmates Erik Dutko (guitar), Brian Howell (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums), which continues despite Woestehoff's move last September to Queens, N.Y. This weekend, they celebrate the release of their debut CD, Organic Chemistry. The title, Woestehoff explains, describes "an ideal musical situation, where everything breathes and exists together naturally," an apt summation of the group's instinctive give-and-take.

City Paper: You started playing the sax at an early age but didn't get serious until high school. What changed your attitude?
Brian Woestehoff: I was preoccupied with playing guitar in high school. I had a subscription to a guitar magazine, and in one of the minilessons someone talked about Coltrane as an inspiration for guitar solos. I was also lucky enough to go to one of the few public high schools that had jazz band as a regular, credit-earning class during the school day. Some friends convinced me to join. There was a second big band, a Dixie band — in which I played banjo, badly — and a few combos, which met before and after school. Basically I went from being a shredder to a band nerd in a few weeks' time.

CP: What did you gain from studying under members of Philly's jazz scene?
BW: Without downplaying what I've learned from school, I think I've improved the most from observing people outside the classroom. I think I've probably absorbed as much from the likes of Larry McKenna and Bootsie Barnes just by watching them play often. The same holds true for Swana. If someone tells you how to do something, it's a lesson. If you learn by observing, instantly the experience is enriched because it's real and unaffected. It's good to have both. This applies to the business side of things as well, learning from other people's successes and mistakes.

CP: What has kept this quartet together and engaged for five years?
BW: Coffee, persistence and luck. Not necessarily in that order. Also a lot of commitment from the other guys; it's a big effort for very small payback some times. I'm really grateful that they've stuck by me.

CP: One of the highlights of this quartet is your rapport with guitarist Erik Dutko.
BW: I write most of the material for the band on guitar, which means Erik will inevitably be featured to some extent. One of the things all four of us have in common is a love for piano trios. I'm insanely jealous of the symbiotic vibe in piano trio music, where it sounds like one mind controlling three people. At our best, I think our band reflects this influence, particularly with Erik because at times he can have a very pianistic approach to the guitar. It's one of those "best of both worlds" situations, because I like the sound and register of the guitar, and the voicings and mannerisms of the piano.

CP: A lot of younger players tend toward a freer, more avant style of jazz. Your quartet strikes a balance between a more traditional, composition-based style with improvisation and interplay.
BW: Well, I like to think there's plenty of freedom in our music as well, perhaps not in the sense that is usually associated with so-called "avant" jazz. Our freedom lies in making choices that reflect the group aesthetic, so that we're collectively conveying a message as opposed to several individual statements. Sometimes the focus may shift from one instrument to another, but it's always intended to be an interactive experience. I'd say this is an essential quality in all great improvised music, regardless of what category it fits into.

CP: What are your future plans?
BW: Ideally, I'd like to write more music for the group, possibly with the addition of a second horn and/or Rhodes piano. Right now, it's taking all my effort promoting this project and trying to stay afloat, but I do have a few new sketches I've been working on in my free time.

Brian Woestehoff and Erik Dutko play their CD release party Sat., March 26, 9 p.m., $10, Chris' Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131.