Colin STETSON: Bio

Colin STETSON

Colin Stetson has performed the solo saxophone music of New History Warfare in practically every type of venue that music inhabits, and although this music may seem challenging on it's surface, every audience in every room in every city has received it with a warm and energized embrace. From chanting and clapping crowds of rock fans while opening up for the Arcade Fire in a string of Get out the Vote rallies for the Obama Campaign last summer to a captivated and curious standing room only in rural Germany. The monks at the National Shrine of St. Francis Assissi were so thrilled with an easter sunday performance that they had him back for two more in the years to come. It is a spectacle of physical extremes(Lexy Benaim of the Harlem Shakes likened it to watching the Olympics, and Alex Green at Caught in the Carousel calls him "the Roger Federer of avant-garde instrumental music") and an intense and cathartic experience of sound and lyricism. Both sonically vast and melodically accessible. Allmusic.com's Sean Westergard had this to say: "Colin Stetson is an absolute master of the saxophone...New History Warfare, Vol. 1 is a truly impressive, fully formed, and highly individual musical statement... Stetson's compositions and ability to tell a musical story are what make this a great album. You haven't heard saxophone music quite like this".

This summer, Stetson will be bringing NHW to stages at both the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Moers Jazz Festival in Germany as well as opening sets for bands such as the Harlem Shakes and Sway Machinery.

Aside from his work as a soloist, Stetson has brought his unique voice on winds and brass to stage and studio with dozens of artists, including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Jolie Holland, Sinead O'Connor, LCD Soundsystem, Angelique Kidjo, and Anthony Braxton. This spring Stetson will tour heavily with the Sway Machinery(NYC) and Bell Orchestre(Montreal), as both bands have new records scheduled for release in March on the labels JDub and Arts & Crafts, respectively.

Colin STETSON

Stetson was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, where he became proficient on assorted saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He earned a degree in music from his hometown school the University of Michigan in 1997. While still in college, he co-founded Transmission (which later became Transmission Trio), and in 1998 they relocated to San Francisco and released their first of three records in 1999. Stetson also branched out to play live with the likes of Fred Frith, Peter Kowald, Ned Rothenberg, and Kenny Wollesen, and kept up his Detroit/Ann Arbor connections as well. Before moving west, he had played on his friend RECLOOSE's debut EP for Planet E, and their collaborations continued over the years, culminating in the DJ's acclaimed full-length Cardiology in 2002. Also that year, TOM WAITS tapped Stetson for reed work on his ALICE and BLOOD MONEY albums. His most recent appearances with Waits have been on the soundtrack to the animated feature Shrek 2 and Waits' boxed set, ORPHANS. His full-length debut as a leader came in the summer of 2003 with the quintet recording Slow Descent. Since relocating to NYC in 2004, Stetson has performed regularly with the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Jeremiah Lockwood's SWAY MACHINERY, and the ever present Transmission as well as performances with Sinead O'Connor, Burning Spear and Medeski, Martin, and Wood, ANTHONY BRAXTON and TV ON THE RADIO. He is currently touring with the band, ARCADE FIRE, playing clarinet, bass clarinet, french horn, cornet and bass saxophone.