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A category all his own

Jason Seed Elixir Ensemble / Jamie Breiwick Sextet
Shank Hall
Milwaukee, WI
Apr. 11, 2009

Jason Seed Elixir Ensemble

Story and photos by Matt Schwenke

To pin composer Jason Seed in a single category is like trying to describe Frank Zappa to someone who has never heard it- it's a slippery slope. The talented composer/guitarist/singer definitely tips his hat to Zappa, sometimes in with and structure and certainly with the song-title musing "Vlad the Inhaler," but Seed's unique sound, blending classical, jazz and rock influences, has not only gained the respect of musicians throughout the midwest, including spots with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and including members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, but his latest album, 3, has also earned the somewhat awkward tag of "Best Jam Album" in the 2008 Independent Music Awards.

Filling the stage at Shank Hall, the Jason Seed Elixir Ensemble also grew to include opener Jamie Breiwick, a Milwaukee jazz staple on the trumpet, and many of the musicians in his band, who are equally talented in their own rite. From Seed's "Same Difference Engine" (which is dedicated to Charles Babbage and his attempt to build a computer in the 19th century) to the fairly straightforward "Halloween Boogaloo" and the dynamic "How You Dream (Part II)," which apparently has nothing to do with Part I, Seed's intelligence and sense of humor bleed through his music in a way that is both complex and fascinating without being alienating. "The Debate" ended the evening as a stellar closer from one of the greatest young composers around.

As the stages get bigger and bigger and the accompaniments more well-known, Jason Seed and his Elixir Ensemble may be on his way to forging something truly special. After a recent run with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Seed will be back at the Chicago Symphony Center this June, and it's a show that shouldn't be missed.