The Whatyouwill Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music “is an outdoor music festival dedicated to creative improvised music and jazz outside the mainstream.” 2015’s festival, the fifth annual installment, takes place on Friday, June 12th (7pm – midnight) and Saturday, June 13th (10am – midnight) at Old World Stone Carving in Sunbury, about 20 miles northeast of Columbus. This year’s featured artist is Bay Area saxophonist and composer Rent Romus, described in Downbeat as having “a bold sound, unmistakable sincerity and conviction.” Romus studied with Stan Getz and has performed and recorded with John Tchicai and Chico Freeman. The festival’s lineup also includes many local and regional greats of free and improvised jazz, such as Ryan Jewell, Tony Zilincik, Hasan Abdur Razzaq, James Cornish, Willie Smart Jr., Bob Drake, Alex Henry, Don Volenik, Chris Weldon, Adam Smith, Chris Coles, Michael Goecke, Paul Stranahan, and Dan Wenninger. The festival will provide Columbus-area jazz fans the chance to see many dynamic musicians who rarely play in town, as well as one-time collaborations not to be missed. Keep reading for logistics details, videos of Romus and Wenninger in action, and a full festival schedule:
The festival grounds are located at 4820 Beard Road, Sunbury, Ohio 43074 – the home and workshop of local sculptor Dale Johnson and wife Wendy. The peaceful rural spread is the perfect setting for wide-open music and a relaxed intimate listening experience. Because it’s a private residence and attendance has to be somewhat regulated, RSVPs are requested. Those who would like to attend can RSVP via the Facebook event page or by emailing the main organizer, Gerard Cox, at gerardcox1 (at) gmail (dot) com.
Snacks and beverages are provided but the festival depends on potluck contributions for the main meals on Saturday. A donation of $10 or more is also requested to defray the travel costs of visiting artists and cover the basic operating expenses of the festival. Camping is available for those wishing to stay over Friday night. BYOB.
Whatyouwill is generally “Rain or Shine” as there is cover available, but severe weather that inhibits travel could affect programming. Please visit the Facebook event page for updates if weather becomes an issue.
WHATYOUWILL 5 Music Schedule
Friday, June 12th
7pm: Dan Wenninger-Adam Smith Duo (sax-drums) – Cleveland/Columbus collaborative
8pm: Rent Romus (reeds), LA Jenkins (electric guitar), Dan Wenninger (reeds), Aaron Putnam (keys), Tom Orange (drums), Chris Weldon (cello), Steve Simula (percussion) – Bay Area/Columbus/Cleveland collaborative
9pm: Auriculum Quartet: Nicole Rachelle Sherburne (reeds/flute), Jason Branscum (trombone), Phil Maneri (bass), Adam Smith (drums) – Columbus
10p-12a: Open Session (rotating small combos in the garage)
Saturday, June 13th
10a-12p: Open Session (rotating small combos in the garage)
12pm: James Cornish/Curtis Glatter Duo (cornet + percussion) – Detroit
1pm: Ryan Jewell Quintet: Ryan Jewell (drums), John Allen (bass), Alex Burgoyne (alto saxophone), Wes Perry (tenor saxophone), Caleb Miller (keyboards) – Columbus
2pm: The Last Boppers: Ken Obasi Leslie (trumpet, keys, percussion), Bryan Berwanger (bass), The Lovechild Experience (keys), Stan Nelson (percussion) – Cincinnati
3pm: Don Volenik (trumpet), Aaron Putnam (keys), Ed Hallahan (bass), Rollin Clayton Jr. (drums) – Akron/Columbus collaborative
4pm: Rent Romus (reeds), Jayve Montgomery (reeds), Tony Zilincik (tuba), James Cornish (cornet), Chris Weldon (cello), Bryan Stewart (bass), Ryan Jewell (drums) – Bay Area/Detroit/Columbus collaborative
5pm: Willie Smart (drums), Michael Goecke (trombone), Hasan Abdur-Razzaq (reeds), Adam Smith (keys) – I-71 Cincinnati-Columbus collaborative
6pm: Conflux Trio: Chris Coles (saxophones), Dan Pappalardo (bass), Zaire Darden (drums) – Akron
7pm: Baekdudaegan: Alex Henry (saxophones), J. Guy Laughlin (drums), Bob Drake (electronics) – Cleveland
8pm: Samuel Hoar (electronics), Chris Weldon (cello/gongs), Jayve Montgomery (reeds), Paul Stranahan (drums) – Columbus/Nashville/Cleveland collaborative
9pm-12a: Open Collaborative Sessions: small combos in the shop.