Wombat is an improvising trio that combines deep sonic exploration through experimental playing techniques, live signal processing, and instrumental preparations with a real-time compositional approach, creating engaging structural shapes and contrasting sections. The relationships between the three of us are in constant flux: merging into a single sonic entity, building contrapuntal textures, or letting one performer lead the trio as a soloist.

Improvisers Justin K. Comer (saxophones), Carlos Cotallo Solares (guitar/electronics), and Will Yager (double bass) formed Wombat in October 2017. Together they explore new sonic textures and instrumental techniques in concert halls, coffee shops, and backyards. Though the performances are never planned beforehand, the trio’s music is influenced by their collective experience with contemporary art music, noise, jazz, metal, and drone. Appearances include the Oh My Ears Festival, the MOXsonic Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts Festival, Maximum Ames festival (Ames, IA), the University of Iowa Center for New Music, and the Feed Me Weird Things concert series. They have several recordings available on Bandcamp

Riley Leitch is a trombonist composer-performer. He regularly premiers new works for solo trombone, chamber ensemble and orchestra and is actively involved in the Chicago music scene as a programmer and administrator . His work deconstructs the trombone and various other instrument in combination with disparate disciplines (movement, visual art, eating, etc.) to create collaborative improvisatory situations.

Beth McDonald is a classically trained tuba player gone awry. She performs mainly as an improviser, using the tuba acoustically and with electronic effects pedals.

Beth’s current musical projects include Edition Redux (Vandermark/Finnegan/Dessel), Three Grebes (Hand/Turner), and Where Were We (Dessel/Damon). She has also recently collaborated in other contexts with Chicago-based artists such as Kim Alpert, Hannah Bureau, Andrew Clinkman, Becky Grajeda, Mabel Kwan, Chris Corsano, Ro(b)//ert Lundberg, Zander Raymond, Ken Vandermark, and Macie Stewart.

In parallel to her solo work as a musician, Beth also has a printmaking practice of creating layered, improvisatory works using repetitive processes. She mostly prints on textile using ink and dyes, but also prints with risograph, and enjoys feeding images back and forth between the two mediums.

You can learn more at bethtuba.com, and can hear her solo albums at bethtuba.bandcamp.com.

Jack Langdon is a musician, filmmaker, and writer based in Chicago. He performs on a variety of keyboard instruments, with a particular focus on expanded

and extreme approaches to organ performance. For this program, Jack will perform material from his digital tonewheel organ & fuzz pedal studies.

Jack runs the record label and journal Empty Stage. His recordings have been released by Important Records, Sawyer Editions, and Lobby Art. His writings have been published by Sound American, Cacophony, and Shred Magazine. He is a founding editor, alongside Eli Namay and John Pippen, of Culture as Care Journal. He was raised in Keyeser, Wisconsin and is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

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Tags: Beth McDonald, Carlos Cotallo Solares, Chicago, Chris Corsano, Comfort Music: Wombat // Beth McDonald and Riley Leitch // Jack Langdon, Comfort Station Logan Square, Hannah Bureau, Jack Langdon, Justin K. Comer, Logan Square, MACIE STEWART, Riley Leitch, Will Yager