Based in New York City, Weather Vest is a mixed-wind quartet exploring the connections between classical chamber music, small-group jazz, and folk music.
The group brings together classical and jazz musicians in an unusual and flexible lineup: soprano and alto saxophones with tenor and bass trombones. Our repertoire reflects a curatorial approach, bringing works from across musical history into conversation with our own compositions and commissioning projects. All four members contribute arrangements, drawing on everything from solo piano and guitar pieces to symphonies and big-band music. We take a democratic approach to programming, putting composers from different traditions side by side—Shostakovich and Lili Boulanger alongside Raymond Scott and Thelonious Monk; Duke Ellington alongside Stravinsky and Hank Williams. Free improvisation is also central to what we do, creating unexpected connections between varied musical and cultural lineages.