So It Goes

Let yourself be drawn under the spell of this outstanding saxophonist, who immerses the listener in a strain of jazz that lightly nods to New Orleans while boldly engaging with an ultra-contemporary vision of her art. 5 STARS
Thierry De Clemensat, Paris-Move

Saxophonist Kate Olson's So It Goes captures the wide-open imagination and understated cool of her chord-less Seattle quartet, thriving on the interplay and invention built through steady collaboration on Northwest stages. With Tim Carey on electric bass, Evan Woodle on drums, and Conner Eisenmenger on trombone, the band presents a set of originals, with their chemistry shining on angular, bebop-inflected tunes like "All Pear Shaped" and "Bumbling Thumbs Blues," and on their wistful explorations of "Afterthoughts" and "Pink Mountain." Guests Wayne Horvitz and Geoff Harper lend warmth to the title cut, a gospel-tinged reflection on the Kurt Vonnegut character Billy Pilgrim, and join again on the one cover tune, a radiant take of Alice Coltrane's "Translinear Light." From joyful to contemplative, Olson's Quartet values conversation over perfection, shaping a sound that's at once exploratory, organic, and deeply Northwest.

"...straight-ahead jazz, a fastball right over the heart of the plate, and it's terrific...What's especially gratifying about this project is that it provides her the space to reveal the extent of her lyricism and to bring it to full bloom."
Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm

Production Info:

Produced by Kate Olson
Recorded & mixed by Floyd Reitsma
at Studio Litho, Seattle, WA
Recorded on Jan 17-19, 2025
Mastered by Ed Brooks
at Resonant Mastering, Seattle, WA
Cover artwork by Haren Vakil
Photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of So It Goes

Paris-Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
5 STARS Let yourself be drawn under the spell of this outstanding saxophonist, who immerses the listener in a strain of jazz that lightly nods to New Orleans while boldly engaging with an ultra-contemporary vision of her art. The rhythmic architecture drives the point home, reinforced by elegant, poetic winks to the past, none more striking than ...

Jazz Weekly (George Harris)
Playing mostly soprano sax, Kate Olson leads her band of Conner Eisenmenger/tp-tb-ef, Tim Cazrey/b-g, Evan Woodle/dr and guests on a collection of mostly originals, mostly with a Monkish mood. Her sonic allegiance to the bebop master is evident in the fun sharp angles that her soprano glides through as on the acute "Bumbling Thumbs Blues" and th ...

Making A Scene (Dee Dee McNeil)
Saxophonist and composer, Kate Olson, brings us her understated cool, chord-less, Seattle quartet. The ensemble presents eight original songs penned by Olson and one cover, "Translinear Light" composed by Alice Coltrane. Their title tune sounds like New Orleans music with Conner Eisenmenger's trombone resembling a very human voice. Their guest, ...