Racer Session #473 | Yeom-na | May 26, 2019

Greetings, Racers!

This Sunday, we are pleased to present Jacob Neenan as our Sunday presenter. Jacob is a Seattle saxophonist and composer, a recent graduate of Cornish College of the Arts. Jacob will be presenting a set of music from his group Yeom-na, joined by Ruby Dunphy (drums), Joe Oakes (guitar), and Trevor O’Loughlin (bass).

Keep reading for some words from Jacob and his prompt for the session, and find yourself at Cafe Racer this Sunday at 8pm for their session and jam!

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“Yeom-na came to be in my senior year at Cornish, which also happened to be a time that I began experimenting with various guitar pedals. While playing with various improvisers something I noticed was the fluidity of the rhythm section. Though it was something I enjoyed, I yearned to play with a group that wasn't opposed to sticking with a consistent groove. So I met up with some of my favorite musicians, Ruby Dunphy, Joe Oakes, and Trevor O'Loughlin and improvised with them.

Something I noticed was that we would jump through various styles and stretch ideas until the group came to a consensus that we needed to move on. After we finished playing we all knew that there was something there.

As for the name, I have always tried to remain connected to my Korean roots; Yeom-na is the gatekeeper to heaven and hell in Korean mythology. I like to think that the music we create takes the listener on a journey akin to traversing the underworld.

As for the prompt: "3 movements". Yeom-na focuses on creating a multitude of different soundscapes. We want to hear what improvisers can do to create at least 3 distinct movements in their group improvisations.”