Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. The Westerlies explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Equally at home in concert halls and living rooms, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along. The ensemble has produced two critically acclaimed albums: its 2014 debut, Wish the Children Would Come On Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz (Songlines), and a 2016 double-CD of primarily original compositions, The Westerlies (Songlines). Sought-after collaborators, The Westerlies are also featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes (Nonesuch), Vieux Farka Touré (Six Degrees Records), Common (Lakeshore), and Dave Douglas (Greenleaf). The Westerlies’ 2019-20 season includes engagements at Dumbarton Concerts, Soundings: New Music at the Nasher, Noe Valley Chamber Music, Earshot Jazz Festival, Mayo Performing Arts Center, and Choate Rosemary Hall. In addition, the ensemble is producing the second annual Westerlies Fest, February 3-9, 2020 in Seattle. Recent performances include the Norton Center for the Arts, the Moore Theatre, Shenandoah University, Purdue Convocations, the Oxford Performing Arts Center, Luther College, the Schubert Club, St. John’s University, and the University of Washington. The ensemble was featured with Fleet Foxes at Coachella, the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre Berkeley, Red Rocks, the Newport Folk Festival, Merriweather Post Pavilion, the Santa Fe Opera, Outside Lands in San Francisco, Panorama New York City, and the Pitchfork Music Festival.