The critically acclaimed Acoustic Jazz Quartet from Los Angeles will present a Sept. 19 concert in Washington State University’s Kimbrough Concert Hall. The 8 p.m. program is open to the public without charge.

Consisting of saxophone, guitar, bass and drums, the quartet approaches the traditional quartet format from a new perspective, said Gregory Yasinitsky, director of jazz studies at WSU.

One of the co-leaders of the group is bassist Zac Matthews, who earned his undergraduate music degree at WSU. After graduating from WSU, Matthews established himself in Los Angeles, where he regularly performs and records with the top names in the jazz world. Don Heckman of the L.A. Times wrote, “Matthews, who co-leads the group, played several athletic solos clearly defining his technical virtuosity.”

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Washington State University School of Music Professor Keri McCarthy has been named the 2021 recipient of the WSU Libraries’ Excellence Award.

The award recognizes a non-library WSU faculty or staff member who has shown consistent support for the WSU Libraries. Recipients are chosen based on encouraging students to use the libraries; personal use of the libraries; personal support of or contributions to the libraries’ collections or services; interaction and cooperation with library faculty; and service on library-related committees.

“This award reflects some of the love for knowledge that she shared with me when I was a child,” McCarthy said. “I have great respect for WSU’s librarians and staff, and the collections they have cultivated. I have spent so much time over the years in Holland, Terrell and Kemble Stout libraries in particular, both conducting research and sharing research methods with my students. The WSU library system has given me so much, and I am surprised and grateful to be recognized.”

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From the morality of science and the banality of pandemic lockdown to struggles with money, police, queerness and being the only girl in the band—the diverse topics of songs composed by Washington State University students reflect a wide range of social concerns and music created to address them.

Demonstrating the knowledge and skills they gained in music instructor Gabe Condon’s Songwriting II course this spring, 11 emerging songwriters will present a virtual showcase of their original, recorded compositions at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., April 21, on the WSU School of Music’s YouTube channel.

For their capstone project, the students wrote songs focused on topics of protest and social commentary, one of several thematic areas they studied in the semester-long course.

“Given many recent, consequential events and social unrest—including COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the election of a new U.S. president—it seemed appropriate for students to examine the historical context of protest music and how it relates to modern social movements and modern songwriting,” Condon said.

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