Outside the Spotlight
Outside The Spotlight is a series of jazz and improvised music events in Lexington, KY. We give a home to artists making music that doesn't fit with commercial sensibilities and build an environment where artists and audience can interact more directly.
We want to expand the the availability of this music to anyone who is interested. Performances are at smaller venues and are generally donation / pay-what-you-want.
Photo by Brian Connors Manke
OTS #229 - Bark Culture and The Jacob O'Donnell Trio
Thursday, October 3rd @ The Loudoun House, 7:00pm
Outside the Spotlight Jazz & Improvised Music Series presents an evening of two powerhouse trios, set in the historic Loudoun House.Philadelphia-based Bark Culture is led by Brazilian/American vibraphonist and composer Victor Vieira-Branco, featuring the rhythm section of drummer Joey Sullivan and bassist John Moran (both of whom played at OTS#225 this past April with Michael Foster’s The Ghost). From bowed vibes, bowed strings, and bowed cymbals to highly-rhythmic compositions and jazz voicings, Bark Culture navigates a thrilling balance of intention and experimentation.The Jacob O'Donnell Trio is a dynamic saxophone-led trio that blends the rich tapestry of jazz tradition with the ethereal textures of dream pop. Leading the charge is Lexington native Jacob O'Donnell, whose passionate saxophone playing and infectious energy have made him a rising star in the local music scene. He is joined by seasoned bassist Danny Cecil, a Lexington veteran whose experience and musical wisdom add depth and sophistication to the trio's sound. Completing the trio is the multi-talented Stephen Lynerd on drums, who brings boundless energy and a keen musical sense to every performance.This event is free and all ages.Donations accepted at the door support the ongoing work of the OTS series and are greatly appreciated.This performance is sponsored by WRFL 88.1fm, the student-run radio station for the University of Kentucky. WRFL offers its listeners a source of music, news, and other programming not regularly found through other media outlets in central Kentucky and is a longstanding supporter of the OTS Series.Many thanks to the Lexington Art League for enthusiastically hosting this performance. More information about gallery exhibits, artist studios, and live events at the Loudoun House is available at www.lexingtonartleague.org
Coming Soon...
We have an action-packed fall lineup coming soon.Sunday, October 20: Tim Daisy and Sebastian Strinning, a Chicago/Sweden free jazz duo featuring drums and saxophone, with support from Tandem, a Lexington-based piano and reeds duo with Raleigh Daley and Cara Thomas.Monday, November 4: JAKAL, a Chicago-based free jazz trio led by Keefe Jackson, with support from BASHER, a funky free ensemble from New Orleans.
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Archer / Anagrams - April 13th @ 21c Museum Hotel
Outside The Spotlight, with support from 21c Museum Hotel and WRFL, begins the '24 season with a doozie. This double-header show features the international quartet Archer, led by Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis and Terrie Ex of Dutch underground punks The Ex, and will include support from Atlanta-based guitar/electronics/saxophone duo Anagrams.
Michael Foster's The Ghost - April 26th @ 2nd Story, 7pm
Outside The Spotlight, in conjunction with 2nd Story and WRFL, features another fearless improvisational performance. NYC composer and saxophonist Michael Foster joined by his chimaeric ensemble The Ghost which "focuses on unpacking and celebrating the free jazz tradition from a queer perspective."OTS #225 // Friday April 26 // doors open 6:30pm, show starts 7pm
admission = FREE, suggested donation $5-$10, all ages welcome2nd Story is located at 522 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507
Kelby Clark and Mason Colby - June 5th, 7pm @ Institute 193
Outside The Spotlight is crossing genres again, in our unending exploration of improvised music! On June 5th, we present an evening of old-time and improvisational banjo with Kelby Clark (Nashville, TN) and Mason Colby (Leington, KY). We'd love for you to join us.OTS #226 // Wednesday June 5th // doors open 6:30pm, show starts 7pm
admission = FREE, suggested donation to the artist of $5-$10, all ages welcome.Institute 193 is located at 215 North Limestone in downtown Lexington.
Alta Vista and Colby X. Norton - August 3rd, 7pm
@ 21c Museum Hotel
Mixing equal parts jazz, country, and folk, Chicago's Alta Vista draws on both new and old traditions to create their own "melted country music". For their first album, the group decided to interpret a collection of century-old songs written by radio musicians and songwriters. Guitarist Chet Zenor, bassist Jakob Heinemann, and percussionist Andy Danstrom use these compositions as springboards for exploration and harmonic embellishment, using rhythm and space to punctuate melodies that evoke both the American West as well as the disparate strands of this country's homegrown musical traditions.Alta Vista is:
Chet Zenor - Guitar
Jakob Heinemann - Bass
Andy Danstrom - DrumsAlta Vista's Bandcamp
Dr. Colby X. Norton performs with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, is professor of Low Brass and Music Theory at EKU, and is conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Berea College. He frequently composes/premiers new works for the bass trombone with multiple ensembles as well as teaches privately throughout Kentucky while continuing to perform in both jazz and classical settings.Colby's SoundcloudColby's Reverbnation
Our Next Show - OTS #228 - Scheen Jazzorkester
September 29th @ The SCFA Recital Hall, 6pm
The Singletary Center For The Arts and Outside the Spotlight are excited to present Norway-based Scheen Jazzorkester!Scheen Jazzorkester (SJO) was established in 2010 as a professional large jazz ensemble based in Skien, Telemark, Norway, and has since then become the regional Jazz Orchestra of the Southern Jazz Center in Norway. It has succeeded in becoming a major force in Norwegian progressive composer-based ensembles along with similar units in Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, and has released eight critically acclaimed albums. Two of them on the European power house label, Clean Feed Records, and one on the prestigious Jazzland Records in Norway.The project for their current US tour is a commissioned piece by the great Norwegian saxophonist and composer, André Roligheten. He is known in Europe especially for his contributions in Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity, Friends and Neighbors, Susanne Sundfør as well as his own quartet which just released the record “Marbles” on Odin Records.The music Roligheten has written for this project is deeply rooted in the American jazz tradition, with strong influences from the Scandinavian jazz scene, and hints of different traditional music from around the world. Roligheten has a particular sense for strong rhythms and catchy melodies and is often experimenting with the listeners concept of time and space.Get ready for an atypical big band experience, where Mingus and Dolphy lurk in the background while modern European and Scandinavian contemporary expressions hover above!This free, all ages performance is presented by the Singletary Center for the Arts as part of it’s 2024/25 programming season, in coordination with the Outside the Spotlight Jazz & Improvised Music Series, which has been bringing “out” sounds to the Lexington community since 2002.