Back in 2008, the same year my colleagues Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson dreamt up the idea for these Tiny Desk concerts, a cohort of freelance musicians formed in New York, calling itself yMusic (referring to “Gen Y” millennials). That random aligning of planets has now resulted in this terrific performance at the NPR office space with four original compositions in a musical language that borrows from classical and pop but could only be yMusic.

The band’s unique sound is born not only from the tight construction and performance of the music, but also from the yMusic’s quirky setup. How many other sextets of trumpet, clarinet, flute, violin, viola and cello do you know?

The set opens with “Zebras,” inspired by the frenzied clicking keys of Mark Dover’s bass clarinet. Music emerges softly but takes flight when flutist Alex Sopp doubles on vocals. Chugging rhythms propel “Flood” as solos are passed around, while the more contemplative “Peter Inn” showcases lovely muted colors in the winds, with intrepid trumpeter CJ Camerieri switching to French horn. “The Wolf” closes the set with yMusic rising to its loudest, driven by a clever yipping theme in the winds as cello and viola slide up the scale.

yMusic is completely at home backing up the likes of Paul Simon, The National and Dirty Projectors, or performing music it has commissioned from today’s top composers including Andrew Norman and Caroline Shaw at upscale venues like Carnegie Hall. Genres be damned.

—Tom Huizenga | January 19, 2024

SET LIST
“Zebras”
“Flood”
“Peter Inn”
“The Wolf”

MUSICIANS
Alex Sopp: flutes, voice
Mark Dover: clarinets
CJ Camerieri: trumpet, horn
Rob Moose: violin
Nadia Sirota: viola
Gabriel Cabezas: cello

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Elizabeth Gillis
Audio Assistant: Josephine Nyouani
Photographer: Catie Dull
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #ymusic