The Westerlies - Wish The Children Would Come On Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz The Westerlies

The Westerlies' debut album, Wish The Children Would Come On Home, features 11 compositions by Wayne Horvitz, beautifully reimagined by the quartet: Willem de Koch (trombone), Andy Clausen (trombone), Zubin Hensler (trumpet), and Riley Mulherkar (trumpet).

In early 2013, the New York-based brass quartet were approached by their Seattle teacher, friend, and mentor, Wayne Horvitz, to record an album of his music. Already deeply familiar with his work through various ensembles, the group selected material spanning jazz, film music, and classical chamber works, recording the album during their annual summer residency in the San Juan Islands, Washington.

Wish The Children Would Come On Home received widespread critical acclaim. JazzTimes called it "one of the more remarkable albums" of the spring, while PopMatters described it as announcing that "The Westerlies have arrived and are facing a bright future." NYC Jazz Record praised it as "that rare combination of approachable and unusual," and Wondering Sound highlighted the quartet's ability to capture the warmth and soulfulness of Horvitz's music, with the added bonus of four improvisational tracks featuring Horvitz himself.

Based in New York and formed by four friends from Seattle in 2011, The Westerlies explore the space between American folk, jazz, classical, and indie rock. Dedicated to expanding the brass quartet repertoire, they have premiered more than 40 original works. Dave Douglas described the ensemble as "Swinging, grooving, clean and tricky playing. This is the group that, once you've heard them, you'll realize they always needed to exist. Unique, original, exciting. And simply killing in the best sense."