In Motion Quartet

Led by Seattle-based saxophonist Steve Treseler and Bellingham-based trumpeter Kevin Woods, In Motion Quartet releases their debut album The Grind, an adventurous set of original music exploring propulsive grooves and the avant-garde. With a nod to the chord-less groups of Ornette Coleman, Dewey Redman, and Lee Konitz, the instrumentation allows the band the freedom to stretch harmonically and melodically, while maintaining an emphasis on rhythmic interaction and improvised counterpoint. Treseler and Woods seem to communicate telepathically, with a great sense of élan, curiosity, and vitality.

Saxophonist Steve Treseler is embedded in Seattle's jazz and creative music scene and travels for performances and residencies throughout the U.S. and Europe. His collaboration with the lauded trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, Invisible Sounds: For Kenny Wheeler on Whirlwind Recordings was named one of DownBeat's best albums of 2019 and featured in the New York Times. When Woods and Treseler met in 2014, the two connected over a shared affinity for Wheeler’s music.

Trumpeter, composer, and educator Kevin Woods is the director of jazz studies at Western Washington University. Victory Music Review describes his playing as “warm, expressive, and engaging” and has recorded six albums as a leader, notably Signals by Trio Linguae with guitarist John Stowell on Origin Records. Kevin is part of ongoing collaborative projects in the Pacific Northwest.

Treseler and Woods formed In Motion Quartet in 2019 with a monthly residency at Seattle’s Royal Room, exploring original material with a rotating rhythm section. In 2021, Treseler connected with King Dahl (bass) and Jerry Steinhilber (drums) through their former mentor, legendary saxophonist George Garzone. King and Jerry, who recently relocated to Bellingham, WA, have played and recorded together for decades since meeting as classmates at Berklee College of Music. Treseler says, “We all studied and played with Garzone, instantly connected through a shared aesthetic—freely moving between bop, lyricism, and Dimension X. Our first gig as In Motion gelled instantly.”

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