Steve Treseler, Will Lone and Dave Nolet

Join us Thursday Oct 3rd at the Winthrop Library for a free talk- Inside Jazz with Steve Treseler

Steve Treseler Concert with Will Lone, Drums and Dave Nolet, Bass

Friday October 4th 6:30 pm at the Confluence Gallery

Steve Treseler is an award-winning Seattle-based saxophonist, composer, and innovative leader in teaching improvised music. Hailed as a "firebrand of the tenor saxophone” (Earshot Jazz), DownBeat describes his music as “beautifully crafted...whether free, through-composed, or somewhere in between.” Steve performs and leads improvisation workshops throughout North America and Europe, and has performed at Birdland, Blue Note Hawaii, and live on NPR’s Jazz Night in America.

Treseler’s bold and collaborative approach to improvised music began to take shape during his early adolescence immersed in the hypnotic rhythm of Seattle’s grunge scene, and high school years fascinated with the spontaneity and virtuosity of classic jazz records. Treseler’s musical voice crystallized during his studies at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he was exposed to an eclectic range of improvised music and the mentorship of jazz legends Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Brookmeyer, and George Garzone.

Today, Treseler is embedded in the jazz and creative music scene in the Pacific Northwest, performing with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Johnaye Kendrick, Jay Thomas, and as a leader in his own notable groups. Treseler’s six recording projects as a leader include collaborations with the lauded trumpeter Ingrid Jensen: Center Song, which reached #53 on the JazzWeek Radio Charts, and Invisible Sounds: For Kenny Wheeler on Whirlwind Recordings, which was named one of DownBeat's best albums of 2019 and praised by the New York Times as "lyrical and songlike, whether moving at a quick clip or drifting as slowly as cloud cover. . .a standout album." His latest album, The Grind with In Motion Quartet, will be released in the fall of 2024.

Embracing eclectic sounds beyond jazz, Treseler collaborates with songwriters Damien Jurado and Lacey Bown, layering woodwind textures to their poignant storytelling. He explores experimental sounds with Scrambler Soundpainting Ensemble, a multidisciplinary artist collective, and Radiant Fields, a solo project for saxophone and electronic effects.

As a teaching artist, Treseler is the founder of Infinite Improvisation, offering community-centered workshops and retreats that draw from improv theater games, conducted improvisation, and the aural tradition of jazz. Seattle JazzED calls his workshops, “revolutionary. . . Steve is an expert at teaching improvisation in a fun, encouraging way.” Steve has led workshops and artist residencies throughout the U.S. and Europe, including at Berklee College of Music, Hawaii’s Pacific Music Institute, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and in the Austrian Alps with Più Piano. Steve is the author of two instructional books, the Amazon Bestseller Creativity Triggers for Musicians (2017) and The Living Jazz Tradition: A Creative Guide to Improvisation and Harmony (CMA Press, 2014), which are used in music schools worldwide.

Treseler graduated with a distinction in performance from New England Conservatory and was named “Outstanding Jazz Soloist” in the DownBeat Student Music Awards. He holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Improvised Music from the University of Washington where he was a teaching assistant for Cuong Vu.

Treseler is a Conn Selmer performing artist.

Steve Treseler