Anna Webber's Simple Trio Is Anything but Simple Instrumentals

If you are excited to expand your instrumental listening beyond the upcoming Denver Jazz Fest or the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks, look no further than Anna Webber's Simple Trio, which is performing at King Center Recital Hall on Friday, January 24. Webber, a longtime flautist, saxophonist and composer, will be here for her second show in Colorado to date, with the help of her two bandmates and their years of performance chemistry.

John Hollenbeck on drums and Matt Mitchell on piano embellish Webber's experimental jazz narratives and encapsulate the fine line between musical chaos and order. Special guest namebackwards will further enrich the evening, bringing in his local artistry and guitar expertise.

Anna Webber's Simple Trio formed in 2013, through Webber's determination to start a band and compose her own music. Webber's relationship with music dates back to moments of awe as a child while hearing her mother play piano, and musicians passing through her school to showcase their improvisational skills. With impressive dedication Webber manifested her appreciation into decades of daily practice and degrees from Manhattan School of Music and McGill University. Webber met both Mitchell and Hollenbeck naturally through their respective music studies in Berlin and NYC, quickly noticing their impressive abilities.

"They're people I really looked up to and was inspired by. I'd been studying with John and was a huge fan of his music and Matt is the kind of piano player who is basically a whole orchestra," says Webber. While still in her twenties and working hard to make ends meet, Webber felt that with these two musicians, her band would have a full sound for fans to enjoy. The trio spent much of 2013 recording an album and released it to the public in 2014. Ten years later, the group released its fourth album, simpletrio2000.

"The music just kept getting deeper and the type of music I wanted to write kept expanding. I felt it was somewhat limitless. Every new possibility that I uncovered brought forth a bunch of additional possibilities," says Webber. "At this point it feels like there is a very intuitive connection between the three of us and the way we breath on stage. The way we improvise together and move in and out of written material together."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9bLpk0zfcs

Now with a wide array of experience and recognition, the Simple Trio is back in Colorado to showcase its new album that feels inherently tied to the group's many years of working together.

"Its all new music, it's not retrospective, but it feels celebratory. The music I make for this band can sound a little heady, but I try to make it sound joyful," explains Webber. "For me, it's interesting to think about 'Did you notice when it was improvised?' I try to write music where sometimes it isn't clear."

This distinctive characteristic of Webber's work highlights the relationship between improvisation and written music, and it is perhaps best experienced live. Webber leans into improvisation opportunities and more classic jazz compositions, all while keeping her pre-determined narratives at the center of each piece. Though this intuitive playing was introduced to Webber quite young, it takes years to truly develop. Only those with a certain level of dedication can fully explore the depths of expertise made possible through decades of daily practice.

"It takes your whole life to become good at an instrument. I'm still trying to get good at them. It became pretty clear when I decided to study music, that this would take the rest of my life," says Webber.

The King Center Recital Hall show is made possible with the help of Denver group Creative Music Works, which focuses specifically on jazz, improvisation and experimental music. There is no question that Anna Webber's Trio is delighted to bring its sound to new ears.

"It is rare that I can bring this group out West," Webber says, "and I'm really excited to do that."

Anna Webber's Simple Trio with namebackwards, 7 p.m. Friday, January 24, at King Center Recital Hall Auraria Campus, 855 Lawrence Way. Tickets are between $25 and $35, or free for Metro State University students.