Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash - Pluto In Aquarius

“Ensemble Volcanic Ash [has a] utterly original sound.” – AllMusic

“Cinematic. Unrelenting. Brash. Tender. These are just a few terms that might help capture the majesty and mystique of...cellist Janel Leppin’s Ensemble Volcanic Ash.” – Capital Bop

A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, while heavily involved for decades with Washington D.C.’s vibrant new music, jazz, rock and improvised music scenes, Janel Leppin releases the third album by her acclaimed Ensemble Volcanic Ash.

Throughout Pluto in Aquarius, the group’s language and interplay might seem leaner, meaner and grittier to veteran Ensemble Volcanic Ash fans. Leppin found a new pared-back feel for the ensemble — often less like a midsize chamber ensemble and more like a scrappy combo. “It’s a really raw sound and I love that,” Leppin says. “We had played some shows in this format and it was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole other thing now.’”

The five-piece group melds an illustrious array of D.C. talent into a glimmering expressive organism that surges, expands, ebbs and dances in multiple directions at once.

Janel Leppin – cello, CP-70
Larry Ferguson – drums
Anthony Pirog – guitar
Brian Settles – tenor saxophone
Luke Stewart – bass