The Here and Now Quintet
The Here and Now Quintet is currently straddling two cities. A collective of graduates from Seattle’s Garfield and Roosevelt High Schools, the members of this young jazz quintet have all relocated to New York. However, with a recent signing to Seattle jazz label OA2 (a division of Origin Records), an upcoming CD release party at the Triple Door, and a steady local fan base, it’s hard to tell which city they belong to. Sound questioned Sean Hutchinson, Ben Roseth, and Tatum Greenblatt about the ups and downs of the jazz scene east and west.
Sound: Why are you currently pursuing your career in New York, rather than Seattle?
Sean Hutchinson: I wanted to get thrown out into a bigger pond so to speak. Both in LA, where I lived between Seattle and New York, and in New York, there is a whole lot of competition. Which means you really have to get your act together if you want to work.
Ben Roseth: For me, the choice to move east was obvious. At Garfield, we were meeting the best high school musicians around the country in festivals and holding our own. In order to continue seeing those people, to get to know our peers and develop our skills, the only real options were Boston and New York.
Tatum Greenblatt: I think any musician will agree with me that coming to New York is the ultimate learning experience. Here you have the opportunity every night to not only see the greatest players in the world, but meet them and talk with them and even study with them.
Sound: What resources do you have there, that you would lack in Seattle?
SH: New York can provide an outlet to an international scene. What happens in New York defines the state of the art all around the world. And everyone there is working towards some goal or dream that brought them to New York in the first place which really pushes and inspires you to work and be at the top of your game. That and having to work to pay your ridiculous rent!!
TG: New York has an energy all of its own that just doesn’t compare to anywhere else - and the night life is pretty amazing. On a Monday night, for example, you can go hear the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s second set at the Village Vanguard at 11pm, then get a burger and a beer at Corner Bistro at 1am - best jazz jukebox in New York - and still make it back down to Fat Cat for the jam session, which goes until about 4:30am every day of the week. I think it’s safe to say I would miss that kind of hang if I left New York.
Sound: There are more patrons invested in jazz in New York, but the cost of living is exponentially higher. How is that working out?
BR: Now that I’m here in New York, I find it quite paradoxical. It’s the most expensive city in the US, and music is one of the professions that pays the least. Then again, jazz clubs are among the most expensive. How did this all come to pass? I have no idea. But what does it boil down to? Essentially, it’s a grind. A grind to make the rent, a grind to get the money together to go out and check out your colleagues.
Sound: What resources from Seattle do you miss in New York?
BR: NY has everything you could ever possibly want in the world in terms of consumer goods and cultural luxuries. But, this abundance – of everything – leads to a drowning effect. Almost nothing can gain more than niche recognition, because ten minutes after it hits the headlines it’s immediately overrun by the next thing. That’s much less true in Seattle, where outstanding people generally have more time in the sun.
TG: Seattle has an intimacy within the scene that allows musicians to develop their own projects more directly. In New York, it is next to impossible to start a band and keep its members together, whereas the Seattle scene allows this kind of thing to happen more easily. And the scene in Seattle is wonderfully close-knit—far more so than the New York scene as a whole. Also, many musicians are working so much on their performance careers that they don’t dedicate themselves to education in the same way that Seattle’s great teachers do.
BR: I’d say we’re more of a Seattle band than a New York band. We’re currently New Yorkers, yes, but we’ve played many times in Seattle, have fans there, and have our routine.
More on the Here and Now Quintet at their MySpace.