The Realist / Red Sunflower

The Realist featuring cellist Janel Leppin, bassist Devra Hoff and drummer Chad Taylor. The trio Red Sunflower, opening. The Realist / Red Sunflower Friday October 9th at Palisades Hub, 5200 Cathedral Ave NW, DC. Doors at 7pm, music at 7:30. Admission $30. The Realist: Janel Leppin (cello, electronics), Devra Hoff (bass), and Chad Taylor (drums) Red Sunflower: Kiyan Saifi (guitar) and Teymour Saifi (bass), and Jaden Shahin (drums) The Realist (to be released on September 11th, 2026 on Out Of Your Head Records), by DC-based cellist and multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin, features their new Realist Trio with Devra Hoff (Sharon Van Etten, Nels Cline, Xiu Xiu) on bass, and Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Duo, Marc Ribot, jaimie branch) on drums. Leppin, praised as “an absolute virtuoso” by DownBeat Magazine, has spent the last few years composing for their large Ensemble Volcanic Ash, a group with an "utterly original sound" according to AllMusic, and touring both as a solo act and as one half of the duo Janel and Anthony. In need of a band that was easier to tour, The Realist Trio was born, and as with Ensemble Volcanic Ash, this new band has created a sound world uniquely their own and without immediate comparison in the modern jazz world. Drawing from a wide range of influences, including beachy indie music, laid back melodic jazz, and deep pocket basslines, most of the track titles on The Realist are a love letter to Leppin's lifetime home of Washington DC. Five of the album’s twelve tracks are named after historic DC venues, Comet Ping Pong, Rhizome’s Home, Twins, Kaffa House, and Bohemian Caverns, each playing a major part at various points of Janel Leppin’s career. DC’s punk scene is legendary, and the punk and hardcore shows Leppin saw at Kaffa House in high school were an early influence that very much still appears in their music today. Rhizome is among the most important venues for improvised music on the East Coast, and the track Rhizome’s Home demonstrates Leppin’s deep love for the crucial role it plays in the DC arts scene. Transparent is dedicated to Bobby Hill who started Transparent Productions, an organization that brings jazz musicians to perform in DC. Bobby is a musician, advocate for avant-garde jazz, and longtime DJ on 89.3 FM, which is also a track title on The Realist. North Road is the street where The Brink, a recording studio in Richmond VA, is located. The majority of Leppin’s albums were recorded at The Brink working closely with engineer Mike Reina, a process that has helped define the distinct sound of all their albums since 2005. Richard the Luthier is a dedication to Richard Wang, Leppin’s luthier since starting the cello who retired this year. Key Bridge refers to the bridge that connects DC to Virginia. And The Realist refers to the pickup that both Leppin and Devra Hoff use to amplify their instruments. When asked about the ethereal vibe of The Realist in contrast to their edgier previous projects, Leppin said: “I wanted to create an atmosphere where people feel safe. The cello is a transportive instrument and I take my role seriously in trying to provide an emotional space for lovers of the cello. After decades of performing I think people need this instrument, and for more cellists to open up to their emotional side in their improvisations, no matter the context. This is one of my efforts to do that. With that broad goal in mind it creates permission to write any music I want and to incorporate any genre influences that feel right for a given piece or ensemble. The Realist is a deep and refreshing feeling record.” The Realist further exposes the cello as one of the most versatile and expressive instruments, but one that is still underappreciated and underrepresented in the creative improvised and jazz communities. Furthermore, the vast range of musical influences Leppin drew from while composing The Realist makes it an album that appeals to fans of Deerhoof and Godspeed You! Black Emperor just as much as Mary Halvorson. It is the work of an artist unconcerned with stylistic boundaries, and holds a place all its own in the canon of modern cello recordings. *** "Janel Leppin is a picture of versatility. The cellist, composer, arranger, and singer has contributed cello arrangements to the Messthetics, played with punk outfit Priests, and records art-pop under the Mellow Diamond moniker. Leppin leans into a jazz-centric vision on the majestic and occasionally abrasive Ensemble Volcanic Ash, which affirms her place as a boundless musician who constantly leaves the listener intrigued. It’s a puzzle in which jazz, chamber music, contemporary classical, and punk seamlessly coalesce with bracing results." –JazzTimes Over the past two decades, the cellist and multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin has worked steadily to become one of the most compelling composers and improvisers of her generation. With her beloved Washington, D.C. scene as her home base, she has earned renown among fa