Esthesis Quartet

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Dan C.

The four members of Esthesis Quartet with instruments.

Esthesis Quartet

This group formed as a socially distanced collaboration during the COVID pandemic, and their self-titled debut album includes new compositions reacting to the time of isolation. But when finally able to come together and record, the players and composers transmogrified that time of distance into a beautifully cohesive sound. The quartet — Denver pianist Dawn Clement, Chicago bassist (and UW-Madison doctoral degree student) Emma Dayhuff, New York flutist Elsa Nilsson, and Los Angeles drummer Tina Raymond — visits Madison for a BlueStem Jazz concert as part of a brief October tour.

BlueStem Jazz, 7 & 9 pm. $20.

media release: Esthesis Quartet plays original music with a reckless abandon that shakes the preconceptions of traditional instrumentation roles. The group approaches collaboration with understanding, respect, and a brave commitment to spontaneity and sonic exploration.

Esthesis, by definition, means elementary sensations of touch. This is in reference to the missed human contact collectively experienced throughout the pandemic. Esthesis Quartet was formed during this time, initially as a composition support group to keep the creative juices flowing via remote recording projects. When it felt safe to connect in person, we assembled in Los Angeles to perform and record.  

Esthesis recently began working with Bill Frisell after receiving a grant from Chamber Music of America.  

Denver based pianist Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought-after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics, and fans throughout the U.S. and abroad. She holds the role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, flutist Elsa Nilsson is now based in New York City where she performs regularly at various established venues and is an adjunct professor at The New School. Paul Rauch of All About Jazz has said about her: “She is the logical choice to provide a next step for her instrument in the world of jazz and improvised music.”

Bassist Emma Dayhuff is the most recent bassist to graduate from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance and is the fifth woman to ever participate in the prestigious program. She currently resides in Chicago where she is pursuing a DMA at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Los Angeles drummer Tina Raymond is currently an Assistant Professor and the Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Northridge. A unique voice in the Los Angeles contemporary improvised music scene, Raymond blends traditional jazz vocabulary with African polyrhythm and classical percussion techniques.