Nate Wooley and Blue Collar at Firehouse 12 October 13th

Nate Wooley, trumpet and flugelhorn; Steve Swell, trombone; Tatsuya Nakatani, percussion

Experimental trumpeter Nate Wooley and his all-star improvising collective Blue Collar will perform two sets at New Haven's Firehouse 12 on Friday, October 13th. The group, which features legendary trombonist Steve Swell and internationally acclaimed Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, creates spontaneously improvised pieces based on extended technique and subtle interactions between the musicians. Blue Collar's second CD, Lovely Hazel (Public Eyesore), was released in 2005 and named one of the 10 best jazz CDs of the year by Philadelphia City Paper's Shaun Brady.

“For a youngish man," writes AllAboutJazz.com reviewer Ty Cumbie, “Wooley has a disturbingly mature engagement with his art and enviable poise in performance. [He] teams up with two of the finest musicians to be found in any style--the peerless trombonist Steve Swell and Tatsuya Nakatani, a dazzlingly innovative percussionist--and the result is smart and winsome chaos. You won't encounter anything further from top 40 pop, or more rewarding to your patience."

Based in Jersey City since 2001, Wooley began playing trumpet professionally at age 13 and went on to study with Ron Miles, Art Lande, Fred Hess, and Jack Wright. His distinctive personal style blends aspects of jazz and classical trumpet playing with experimentation that defies categorization. He has appeared on five recordings in the past two years, including his 2005 solo trumpet CD, Wrong Shape to be a Story Teller (Creative Sources), which Dusted Magazine's Jason Bivins called “a really fascinating document." In addition to his work with Blue Collar, Wooley frequently performs with John Butcher, Anthony Braxton, Paul Lytton, John Olsen of Wolf Eyes, David Grubbs, Daniel Levin, Stephen Gauci, and the Sound/Vision Orchestra. More information is available at http://www.natewooley.com

About Firehouse 12:

Firehouse 12 is an award winning full-service bar, state-of-the-art recording studio and unusually intimate performance space located in New Haven's historic Ninth Square District. Painstakingly renovated over the course of four years by owner/producer/ engineer Nick Lloyd and Gray Organschi Architecture, this once-abandoned firehouse building has become a major part of New Haven's cultural renaissance since opening its doors in April 2005. It has also quickly gained a reputation as one of the premier recording studios and creative music venues on the East Coast.

A 2006 Best Studio Design Project nominee for the prestigious Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC) Awards, the recording studio features world-class acoustic design by renowned acoustician John Storyk of Walters-Storyk Design Group. The striking 1200- square foot space features a Steinway concert grand piano, and doubles as an 80-seat public venue with unparalleled technical possibilities for some of the most respected names in creative music. Past performers include Han Bennink, Tim Berne, Dave Douglas, Susie Ibarra, Joe McPhee, Joe Morris, William Parker and Mario Pavone among many others.

In a June 2005 feature, New Haven Independent's Regina DeAngelo called Firehouse 12 “a north star in the jazz firmament that might well guide music lovers to New Haven from far away." She went on to write, “fabric-covered walls are angled to urge music to flow, not bounce, through a womb-like space. It's almost like sitting in the hull of an instrument. Luckily, the Firehouse attracts people who bring near-religious reverence to the music, producing an exchange of energy that often fires great performances." James Keepnews of the New Haven Advocate echoed DeAngelo's praise, calling the venue a “remarkable new cultural outpost" and “a resounding success." Yale University's Associate Vice President of New Haven and State Affairs Michael Morand recently called the space “a wonderful addition to New Haven's role as the cultural capital of Connecticut."

Complete Fall 2006 Concert Season:

09/22 :: Matthew Shipp
09/29 :: Carla Marciano 4tet
10/06 :: David Berkman Quartet
10/13 :: Nate Wooley and Blue Collar
10/20 :: Andrew Cyrille/Greg Osby Duo
10/27 :: Pete Robbins and Centric
11/04 :: Dave Allen Quartet
11/10 :: Stephen Haynes and Bugaboo
11/17 :: Dominique Eade/Jed Wilson Duo
12/01 :: Ben Allison Quartet
12/08 :: Wayne Escoffery Quartet
12/15 :: Gerald Cleaver & Violet Hour