THE STINSON TRIO
MITCH STAHLMANN

THE STINSON TRIO is the restless electric improvising union of drummer TIM BULKLEY, guitarist DAVID DVORIN, and reeds player RANDY MCKEAN. Using drum and cymbal, amps and effects, high and low saxes/clarinets, they fashion instant jigsaw superstructures from composite layers of sound and rhythm. The Stinson project came about after trombonist and fellow Flounder band member Cliff Childers’ unexpected death in 2023, which had a profound impact on the remaining members Bulkley, Dvorin, and McKean. Cancelling all upcoming engagements, they entered a period of soul-searching and reflection, ultimately spending a long weekend playing and recording in a cabin located in Marin County’s seaside community of Stinson Beach. The result is their collection Stinson, a creative meditation on folding grief into the joy of communion and connection. They create a world of eclectic improvisation, spontaneous composition, and thoughtful rumination, one in which clinks and clanks become swirls and sustenance, thud and bluster become howl and lament. Through the act of making music, the three reaffirm their collective bond, which shines and fuels their debut release. Stinson will be released by Cure-All Records in November 2024.

MITCH STAHLMANN does play around. His often frenetic music embraces chaos, pulling radical joy out of the magician’s hat. In his solo practice, Mitch primarily works with complex MIDI systems controlled by his adaptation of Michel Waisvisz’s crackle box circuit design. Additionally, the flute is used as a vehicle for melodic and spiritual incantation through this fabric of noise. For this set at the West Oakland Sound Series, Mitch will be pulling both material from his debut solo album, Into the Wish, as well as new musical material. As a collaborator, Mitch’s sound can also be heard in projects such as RISA and Signal Quest.