Trillian Green was an amazing acoustic trio.
Ben Klein on
flute,
Christine Gunn on
cello, and
percussion by
Jarrod Kaplan. Their music is a blend of
multicultural influences, bits of
classical,
jazz,
African drumming, music from
India, then add
Jethro Tull on
LSD. The music is weaved in such a way that images of
dryads dancing in the
Northwest forests come to mind. All three of the band members are self-taught musicians. Their instruments
entwine and
dart around each other, playing each their own tune, but somehow creating space for the others' playing.
The History of Trillian Green
On January 22, 1994, Christine and Ben met at a
cafe in
Seattle, Washington where each had played
independently. A few weeks later, they began playing music together compelled by their similar theories and styles. They started working on songs that the other had
composed, but the band truly began when they began composing new songs together. Imagining a cello and flute dancing 'round each other, I wish I had been there to hear it! They started performing in cafes,
clubs and
theaters as an opening act for other bands and at
performance art shows and quickly gained recognition in their local Seattle. In June of 1994, they headlined their own show with the new name
Trillian Green, before an audience of around 20 people.
Ben and Christine met their third in July of 1994 at the Oregon Country Fair, where Jarrod Kaplan apparently heard them playing and asked if he could join in and jam with them. His drumming added rhythm and energy that had been missing, and it became apparent that there was a 'fit'. They started playing as a trio that summer, busking at festivals and fairs and even in the streets of Pioneer Square in Seattle. They drew a lot of notice around the Northwest and came out with Psycho-Tantric JuJu Jazz in the winter of 1995. In May of 1996 Trillian Green began their first tour of the west coast. They also released the album Metamorphoses in May of 1997. In the summer of 1997, they performed on the main stages at fairs and festivals throughout the Northwest, from Bellingham, Washington to Davis, California.
Trillian Green performed for the last time on February 28, 1998 in Seattle. Though they no longer perform together, their music can still be heard all over the Western States, and thanks to the wonder of mp3 downloading most likely all over the world.
1. Gasworks
2. Kudzu
3. Boreas
4. Jack the Cat
5. Kuruk Setra
6. Liquid Moon
7. Circle in the Sand
8. Geist (Gargoyle II)
9. Halcyon
10. Pan Parag
11. Tapestry
12. Gargoyle (Sentinel of the Nocturne)
13. Oregon Rain
Sources:
- A defunct website circa 1999 I downloaded off a girl in instead of the song I thought it was. That provided names and meeting times.
- Captain Bubbles, a professional clown and one of my former employers, who's obsessed with Trillian Green. He provided a lot of the dates and gave me permission to node what I wanted of his words, provided I advertised him. Chico, California! Professional Clown
If you'd like a sampling of their work /msg me and I can email you some songs, we'll discuss me burning and snailing them if you like the sound.