Trumpeter Jun Iida and band headline this special performance, part of the 2024 Improvised Music Project Festival (IMPFEST). Opening are UW Jazz Studies faculty Cuong Vu, trumpet, and Ted Poor, drums.
Festival Background
The School of Music and the student-run Improvised Music Project present IMPFest, featuring UW Jazz Studies students and faculty Cuong Vu, Ted Poor, and Steve Rodby performing with guest artists of international renown. 2024 headliners are Chris Speed, saxophone (4/24), Jun Iida, trumpet (4/26), and Todd Sickafoose, bass (4/27).
First Set:
Aadithya Manoj - alto saxophone
Cole McKittrick - guitar
Riley Tobin - bass
Cuong Vu - trumpet
Ted Poor - drums
Second Set:
Evergreen
Jun Iida (trumpet)
Xavier Lecouturier (drums)
Kelsey Mines (bass)
Martin Budde (guitar)
Dylan Hayes (piano)
Schedule
Wednesday, April 24: Chris Speed, saxophone
7:30 pm, Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Friday, April 26: Jun Iida, trumpet
7:30 pm, Meany Studio Theater
Saturday, April 27: Todd Sickafoose, bass
7:30 pm, Meany Studio Theater
IMPFEST is made possible through generous support from Seattle's Raynier Foundation.
Biographies
Jun Iida
Trumpeter, composer, educator, and recording artist Jun Iida (Joon Ee-da) has quickly established himself as a highly sought after musician. A recording and performing artist, Iida has performed extensively throughout the U.S. at notable jazz clubs, theaters, and festivals with his sextet and as a sideman.
Originally from St. Louis, MO, Iida has lived in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Los Angeles, and has recently relocated to New York City. Iida has internalized the different styles of music from each region, making his approach to composing and arranging appealing and unexpected with his subtle amalgamation of contemporary jazz, blues, pop, hip-hop, soul, and classical music.
The son of Japanese immigrants, Iida’s mother, a semi-professional koto (Japanese harp) player, had a profound influence on his love of music. Iida says, “My mother was always playing music around the house. She loved all types of music, especially classical, and I spent my formative years listening to Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mendelssohn. My mother wanted to make sure we didn’t lose our culture and language, so she also taught us Japanese folk and children’s songs. But I also listened to jazz, blues, soul, rock & roll, and hip-hop, which were all prevalent in St. Louis when I was very young.”
Iida began studying the piano when he was five years old and subsequently started playing the trumpet when he was nine after listening to his mother’s Louis Armstrong album, Hello Dolly! Although Iida was mainly attracted to jazz when he was young, his interests encompassed a wide range of styles, and he performed in several classical orchestras and wind ensembles throughout his high school and college years. Iida went on to study classical music at the Cleveland Institute of Music and jazz at Case Western Reserve University, where he also studied aerospace engineering.
Iida’s debut album as leader, Evergreen, was released January 19, 2024 on Origin Records.
“All compositions are reflective of both his Japanese heritage and his command and fluency in jazz composition and stylings, the two worlds being complementary and mutually enriching on this showing. The diversity of mood and style, not to mention thoughtful programming of tracks, is a real strength of this album. All in all, there is a great deal to enjoy here.”
– London Jazz News
“Iida’s trumpet delivers a lush, mellow tone. His improvisations are thoughtfully presented, surprisingly inventive, and highly inflected with ornamentations both classic jazz and Japanese-inflected elements. He swings in a style which is totally unique. Evergreen is a texturally-varied debut album from Iida and his exceptional musicians. It is colorful and, at times, enchanting, stimulating both ear and mind.”
– All About Jazz
“Iida is able to bring in elements of his upbringing, along with touches of classical, and even hip-hop rhythms. As a result, songs such as the title track “Evergreen” and “Shiki No Uta” are uniquely contemporary yet forward leaning. Iida’s solos are elegant and engrossing while the band is given moments to shine to make the entire album a treat. Evergreen by Jun Iida smokes from beginning to end. It’s a fine way to start 2024.”
– Slang of Ages