A Double Dose of Ted Nash 

The culmination of jazz saxophonist/composer/educator Ted Nash’s expansive winter residency in town and over Zoom this year comes next weekend (Feb. 18-19) when the Santa Barbara Symphony premieres his Transformation – a rethinking and newly arranged for orchestra take on a segment of his 2021 collaboration with Glenn Close, Transformation: Personal Stories of Change, Acceptance, and Evolution. But first, there’s another installment of his periodic collaboration with local musicians in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. This time around, rather than have the jazz lovers take their inspiration from works of art, Nash challenged them to use their own imagination in keeping with the theme of transformation. 

“When we find inspiration outside of ourselves, it’s our own creativity and imagination that has us explore our own thoughts and feelings based on what we were exposed to,” he explained. “You don’t necessarily have to have the most sophisticated background in composing or even in music – just a willingness to embrace the things you feel and think – and find ways in music to express that. That’s what I’m trying to encourage here.” 

Hear the results in a free concert at Mary Craig Auditorium at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. See next week’s issue for more from Nash on the Symphony premiere.