The Western Illinois Museum, in partnership with the Western Illinois University (WIU) School of Music, invites jazz fans to a lyrical evening of music with saxophonist Dave Detweiler on Friday, April 3rd. Detweiler joins us from Tallahassee, Florida, where he teaches jazz saxophone at Florida State University. He will perform on the Museum’s Our Front Porch stage with the HAT Trio for two sets at 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm, with doors and bar opening at 4:30 pm. The night concludes at 7:30 pm with a performance by WIU students. A $5 suggested donation is requested at the door.
Tenor saxophonist David Detweiler is a commanding post-bop soloist whose performances draw from early John Coltrane and Michael Brecker while maintaining a distinctive voice firmly rooted in the mainstream of modern jazz. He has appeared at many of New York City’s premier live-music venues, including The Blue Note, Birdland, The Knitting Factory, and The Iridium. His debut recording as a leader, New York Stories, featured Leon Anderson, Clarence Seay, Chris Pattishall, and Rick Lollar. His subsequent releases include The Dave Detweiler Trio (2015), Celebrating Bird with bassist Fumi Tomita (2020), The Astoria Suite (2021), and There Used To Be Rain (2023), released on Centaur Records. He is currently Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Florida State University and is a P Mauriat and Vandoren artist.
Joining Detweiler is the HAT Trio: WIU jazz faculty Matt Hughes (bass), George Turner (guitar), and Whitney Ashe (piano). This performance is part of the Music on Our Front Porch series, which presents world-class jazz and classical musicians in the Museum’s cozy, one-of-a-kind garage space, offering a rare chance to experience locally accomplished musicians up close.
The Music on Our Front Porch series continues on May 1st with experimental bassist Will Yager. This program is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the WIU Performing Arts Society.
The Western Illinois Museum is a non-profit organization celebrating and nurturing the history, culture, and traditions of McDonough County. It is a vibrant community hub that features exhibits, an open collection area, lectures, music, and other programs in a historic building. The Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square, and is fully accessible.
A full schedule of events can be found at wimuseum.org or follow on social media @wimuseum. For further information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum.org.
About the HAT Trio
The HAT Trio brings a fresh approach to the classic piano, guitar, and bass ensemble, blending influences from jazz and classical music to explore new musical territory. Guitarist Dr. George Turner has performed across various genres, including traditional jazz with established Illinois musicians, contemporary jazz with the Bloomington-based Kevin Hart and the Vibe Tribe, Brazilian music with Champaign-based Samba Soul, and a poly-stylistic approach with the Almost “A” Quintet. Bassist Matt Hughes, a veteran of jazz legend Betty Carter’s working band, has performed with Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath, Max Weinberg, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Pianist Whitney Ashe has worked with jazz luminaries like Vincent Herring, Eric Alexander, and Tommy Igoe. He has also composed for the Capitol Saxophone Quartet, Christopher Creviston, and The Rivertown Duo. The trio began performing together in Macomb while teaching at Western Illinois University.
