In Situ Album Release Concert

Welcome to the In Situ Album Release Concert! Join us at the Dougherty Arts Center at 1110 Barton Spring's Road for the official release concert of the Alexa Torres Quartet debut album, In Situ. Doors open at 7:00 and the music begins promptly at 7:30. Afterwards there will be a reception with snacks and refreshments in the lobby with the musicians who would love to meet you. There will also be CDs and vinyl available for purchase. The concert is supported by Austin's Live Music Event Fund Program and is hosted in collaboration with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

About the album: In Situ is a contemporary jazz violin album that brings together original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards. The archaeological term in situ evokes a sense of rediscovery and temporal connection, reflected musically through the textures, improvisational languages, and timbres of the album. The compositions foreground contemplative melodies, rich harmonic textures, and atypical forms. The arrangements reflect an intimate engagement with jazz idioms and Torres' own Latinx heritage by synthesizing Latinx rhythms, modern jazz devices, and improvisation. Weaving an aural landscape that is both personally and historically grounded, In Situ sculpts a sonic bridge between the past and the present, between tradition and innovation, and between musical idioms and cultures. Band leader and violinist Alexa Torres will be joined by Guillermo López (bass),Mario Wellmann (guitar), and Daniel Dufour (drums). This in-person event promises to be a memorable experience for all music lovers. Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate with us and enjoy some amazing tunes. See you there!

About the artist: Alexa Torres is a Latinx improvising violinist and music researcher with a background in jazz. Torres views her ethnographic and performance practices as reciprocal. Musically, she seeks to cultivate improvisational and compositional styles that embody a dialogue between tradition and innovation in modern improvised music. Throughout her musical career, Torres has performed in the US, Latin America, and Europe and has had the privilege of sharing the stage with renowned, Grammy-winning artists such as Kurt Elling and Mon Laferte. Breaking new ground in the world of improvised strings, in 2022 Torres became the first woman and the first violinist to graduate from the University of North Texas (UNT) Jazz Strings program when she obtained a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the acclaimed Jazz Studies department. Torres’ research and performance work has been recognized by prestigious awards such as the Austin Live Music Grant, the Fulbright Grant, the Presser Graduate Music Award, and the Steinhardt Fellowship. In Situ, Torres' debut album as a band leader will be available on major streaming platforms on June 14th.