Performing in the KNKX studios, young jazz upstarts Dylan Hayes (keyboards) and Xavier Lecouturier compose intricate jazz with improvisational energy. It's a tricky balancing act that these two Californians continue to refine, made easier by their relatively longtime working relationship.
They've been collaborating since high school, and now wrapping up studies at Cornish College in Seattle, Northwest jazz fans have been treated to early exposure to these future stars.
Their talented group play with an intensity that shows deep respect for the music, but also for the musical personalities of each player. It's a joyful experience, filled with the energy of 20-somethings reveling in the creative process.
Hayes and Lecouturier will lead their DX-tet on The New Cool stage at the Northwest Folklife Festival around lunchtime May 25 and, if we're lucky, they'll continue to call this place home for years to come.
