Jon Hansen - Metallurgy (2019)

After nearly a decade of active involvement in Seattle’s music scenes, tubist and composer Jon Hansen set out to make a record with some of his favorite musicians in the city playing music that was collaboratively created and captured some of the energy of being a twenty something in Seattle in the 2010s before his move to Switzerland.

Some of the music was fairly written out and planned, but most of it was actually arrived at through a process of improvising multiple takes of each musician and then choosing the most inspired parts that seemed to work best together. This process could be seen as befitting for music made in and about a city whose inhabitants are perennially chided for their passivity and lack of commitment, but those traits could also be euphemized as allowing for spontaneity, inspiration and magic. Wink wink.

The album features many mainstays of Seattle’s music scene that Jon played with over the years in various groups and configurations. The forceful and energetic trombone sound heard throughout the album is that of Jason Cressey (True Loves, Monophonics, Superkrewe, Odesza, Macklemore); the wonderful trumpeter Raymond Larsen (Tyrant Lizard, The Sky Is A Suitcase, Chemical Clock) plays on “Konfitüre”, “I’m Not Sure What I’m Supposed To Say”, “Brassman Starship, P.I”., “Last Day”, and “Love Each Other”; “Brass Major” and “Uetliberg” are adorned by the beautiful trumpet playing of Scott Morning (Polyrhythmics, True Loves); Seattle drum guru D’vonne Lewis (Industrial Revelation, Limited Edition, Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Macklemore, Digable Planets), contributed “I Told You” and “Love Each Other”; the incredible drummer Ehssan Karimi (Ayron Jones, Low Cut Connie, McTuff, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Good Quiver) laid the foundation of “Konfitüre”, “I’m Not Sure What I’m Supposed To Say”, “Brassman Starship, P.I”, and “Last Day”; Elliot Gray (Good Quiver, The Fabulous Party Boys) played piano to form the basis of the track "Freshly Dads Club", and also co-produced it with Jon, making the beat together; and the rich viola and violin sounds of the fantastic Rachel Nesvig can be heard on “Love Each Other”, and Steven Bell added his lovely vibraphone tones to "Uetliberg".

Recorded at STUDIO ZAM in Seattle, WA, USA, and mixed and mastered at Zamhüüsli in Adliswil, Switzerland.