The Wee Trio is a jazz band that calls both Louisiana and New York home. After emerging in 2008, the trio has sought to push the limits and bring a new perspective on jazz music. The Daily Reveille sat down with vibraphonist and New Orleans native James Westfall to discuss the group’s upcoming New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival performance.
The Daily Reveille: Where are each of you from?
James Westfall: I’m from New Orleans. Daniel Loomis and Jared Schonig are from Brooklyn, New York. I lived in New York for about two years, and within those years, the other two guys lived across the street from me. So we just started playing, then put a few gigs together and then a few tours together, and eventually it became a band. Then, I moved back to New Orleans around 2007, but the band has stayed together ever since then.
TDR: How is the atmosphere of Jazz Fest going to influence the songs you play?
JW: Well the atmosphere of Jazz Fest is so much energy that it’s just naturally going to put a lot of energy into the set. It’s going to make it a hard-hitting set just with being outdoors with the sun and alcohol. It’s just more of a fiery audience.
TDR: As musicians, how do the three of you work together?
JW: We’re basically having a three-way conversation, and the more people we have in the band, the more conversation has to be divided up equally for everyone to say what they have to say. I guess with three people, we all get an opportunity. Which means as a vibraphonist, I have the opportunity to play more of a rhythmic role, while the drummer can play more of a melodic role, and the bass player can also play more of a role providing harmony. There’s no specific harmonic player.
TDR: After three previous studio albums, what influenced the decision to record a live album?
JW: We always felt like bands, or musicians, fall into a category. Sometimes they put on a really good live show but the records don’t do it justice, or sometimes it’s the other way around where the record sounds great and the band doesn’t really do a good live show. We felt like we were more of a live band as opposed to a studio band. Since playing live was more a strength of ours, we wanted to capture that live essence for everyone to be able to listen to.
TDR: Who are your personal influences?
JW: Of course as a vibraphonist the biggest influences would be Milt Jackson, which is probably my biggest influence, but I have a lot of influences. For instance, the teachers that I had at the University of New Orleans, like Harold Battiste, Steve Masakowski, Edward Petersen and Ellis Marsalis. The whole city of New Orleans and its music scene is a huge influence.
TDR: What can people expect from your set?
JW: Mostly original compositions. We might do some covers here and there. We’re going to have some special guests come up and sit in. We’ll probably expand, pick a song here and there from the last four records and maybe some new ones that haven’t premiered yet.