The Axes Volume IV Winter Solstice
Eight orchestras written by Erik Jekabson and Gregory Howe celebrating and performed on the Winter Solstice of 2025 and one cover; Silent Night (arrangement by Erik Jekabson).
With an amazing ensemble of some of the finest Bay Area musicians the orchestral works have a minimalist influence but venture into classical and jazz tonalities but always with it’s own modern sound.
Standout compositions Sage Wall, The Healing Song, and Silent Night feature lush chordal evolutions sure to grab listeners’ attention. There are also two original vocal songs Holding the Line, which features Gregory Howe, and Katrina Vila, who sings on Holliday Lights.
Conductor/Viola: Charith Premawardhana
Conductor/Trumpte/Flugelhorn: Erik Jekabson
Violin: Anthony Blea
Violin: Alisa Rose
Viola: Darcy Rindt
Cello: Ben Davis
Flute: Mary Fettig
Oboe: Dana Bauer
Clarinet/saxophone: Harvey Wainapel
Bassoon: Paul Hanson
French Horn: Wayne Van Lieu
Trombone: Jeff Cressman
Percussion: Kjall Nordeson
Guitar: Jordan Samuels
Piano: Matt Clark
Trumpet: Max Miller-Loran
Bass: Dan Feiszli
Drums: James Beauton
Vocals: Gregory Howe
Vocals: Katrina Vila
Track Listing:
CD/Digital:
1. Emerging Atlas 2.18
2. Sage Wall 5.38
3. The Healing Song 5.58
4. Holding The Line 4.18
5. Silent Night 4.48
6. Holiday Lights 4.18
7. Tones For Twelve 6.58
8. Emily Jane 8.28
9. Atlas Receding 3.04
LP: Side A
1. Emerging Atlas 1.58
2. Sage Wall 5.38
3. The Healing Song 5.58
4. Holding The Line 4.18
5. Silent Night 4,48
Side B
6. Holiday Lights 4.18
7. Tones For Twelve 6.58
8. Emily Jane 8.28
9. Atlas Receding 3.04
Daggerboard
Daggerboard picks up where Throttle Elevator Music left off with musician and writer Gregory Howe, drummer Mike Hughes guitarist Ross Howe, vibraphonist Roger Glenn, and the great Henry “The Skipper” Franklin (Blackjazz Records) on stand-up bass.
Also featured is a string section featuring Mads Tolling. For their third release Mike Clark and Babatunde Lea join to form an all time great rhythm section below Matt Clark's brilliant Rhodes and Erik Jekabson's soaring trumpet.
Erik Jekabson
Erik Jekabson is a freelance trumpet player, composer, arranger and educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has toured with Illinois Jacquet, John Mayer, Galactic, and has performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman.
Gregory Howe
Gregory Howe founded Wide Hive Records in 1996. While primarily active as producer, mixer, and composer, Howe also performs guitar, synthesizer, turntable, voice and percussion on many recordings. From 1996 to 2024 Howe recorded and released albums for Throttle Elevator Music with Kamasi Washington, Roscoe Mitchell, Mike Clark, Dissent, Erik Jekabson, Calvin Keys, Phil Ranelin (Pharoah Sanders, Henry Franklin, Big Black), Wide Hive Players and the incomparable artist and guitarist Larry Coryell.