Thursday February 29 * 7pm * TICKETS
Join Transparent Productions at Rhizome DC Thursday February 29th at 7PM for an evening of music featuring some inspiring DC-based improvisers: The WMD Drone Trio plus Parker Speirs, solo guitar.
The WMD Drone Trio:
WMD is a trio from Washington, D.C. with Matthew Waterman (trombone), Abe Mamet (French horn), and Nelson Dougherty (guitar and effects). The group uses drone and subtle melody to build expansive and meditative music. Nelson creates textures with his guitar and effects pedals, while Abe and Matthew switch between acoustic playing and running their sound through an effects board, which Nelson also controls. Occasionally, group members speak into the mic as well. WMD plays improvised music.
Nelson Dougherty is a Washington, DC-based jazz guitarist, composer and educator. He finds the intersection between different genres of music, often using guitar pedals to create vast soundscapes. He currently co-leads ¡FIASCO! which has released two albums, Arson (2020) and Post-Truth (2021). Both of which were named #1 on Capitol Bop’s list Best D.C. Jazz Albums in their respective years. Nelson’s most recent collaboration is the duo, Tyson (with Saxophonist Tyler Cassidy). Their recent release, Found Audio, explores ambient and soundtrack-like textures.
Lauded as D.C.’s “major jazz French horn player” by the Washington Post, and named one of 2023's "artists to watch" by DCist, Abe Mamet is a composer and instrumentalist committed to using his music to ground himself, his fellow musicians, and his audiences more deeply in the spaces they occupy daily. That commitment involves exploring the use of the French horn in groove-oriented improvised music (informed by the traditions of jazz/creative music/Black American Music), and expanding the technical and theoretical limitations of that instrument. In March 2023, Abe took part in 577 Records' "Sounds of Freedom" Residency in Canale Monterano, Italy, under the mentorship of Leo Genovese, Daniel Carter, Patricia Nicholson-Parker, William Parker, and Rachel Musson.
Matthew Waterman is a trombonist and composer from Bloomington, Indiana. With a foundation in jazz, Matthew’s music draws on influences from classical, rock, Afro-Cuban, and other styles of music. After studying composition in Norway, Matthew relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2022. He is a member of Finding Frances, which released its debut record For Flowers Yet to Bloom in August 2023.
Parker Speirs solo:
Parker Speirs is a guitarist and composer who feels at home playing jazz standards, new music, reimagined classical repertoire, and much more. He has released several albums under his own name as well as with his crossover trio The Inventures, an ensemble that reimagines classical music by infusing it with jazz, rock, and pop. His talents have landed him a coveted spot as an Artist in Residence at the Strathmore Music Center for the 2023-2024 season. He has recorded with many artists from the pop, R&B, and jazz worlds. Parker resides in the Washington D.C. area and is an in demand guitarist, maintaining a busy performing, teaching, and composing schedule.