Michael Brenneis' Light Blue Quartet

Michael Brenneis’ Light Blue Quartet invites listeners on a voyage of musical exploration, blending treasures from 20th-century Jazz with original compositions that capture this joyful spirit. Named after Thelonious Monk’s evocative piece Light Blue, the quartet brings a sense of playfulness and openness to each performance. With a deep respect for Jazz’s rich history, they approach every song with fresh enthusiasm, creating a sound that feels spontaneous and full of life. Their music is a celebration—of both the classic and the new—where each note feels like an invitation to experience the vision of Jazz in its most real, most engaging form.

Austin Cebulske Tenor Saxophone Matt Blair Piano John Christensen Bass Michael Brenneis Drums

Michael Brenneis
Drummer, composer, improviser Michael Brenneis strives to approach music with passion, grace, and fire. Devoted to the art of drumming, Michael feels at home in many genres of music, but holds a special place for straight-ahead Jazz having been the house drummer for the New Breed Jazz Jam for 13 years -- several of which took place at the North Street Cabaret itself. Michael leads several projects that perform his own compositions and build a bridge between Jazz, New Music, and Free Improvisation. These groups have attracted some of the most accomplished and adventurous musicians that the region has to offer, and include the octet Plutonium, the sextet Tomato Box, the quartets Executive Tea Set, and the Light Blue Quartet. He co-leads the experimental duo Outside the Sphere with Tony Barba, and The Active Percussion Duo with Geoff Brady. Michael studied music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Berklee College of Music, and individually with a number of maestros, most notably Alan Dawson. Michael releases recordings of his music with some regularity on his Rattle Tick Buzz record label, most recently “The Navigator” with Tomato Box, and “Uncertainty”, a sweeping collection of solo works for drums and synthesizers. Outside the Sphere's latest "Full Potential" is out on Shifting Paradigm Records. More information and download links are available at rattletickbuzz.com.

John Christensen
Award winning bassist, composer and Shifting Paradigm recording artist John Christensen supplies an open-hearted solidity and adventurous spirit to all of his music endeavors. With an appetite for expressing in many musical genres and situations, John has found a unique compositional voice, as demonstrated on his highly acclaimed debut album as a leader, Dear Friend.
 
While an ardent student and practitioner of improvised Black American Music, John’s music also has deep roots in Rock, Folk, and Americana. Content to have his bass playing compared to Charlie Haden’s lyricism, as in reviews for Johannes Wallmann’s latest album Precarious Towers, he’s also happy to have comparisons difficult to find. His compositions strive toward a hopefulness and appreciation for the beauty and awe of life, and the wonder of small, important things.
 
John Christensen began his bass studies with Chris Wood in high school. After brief stints at Berklee College and North Texas, John moved to San Francisco and played in the burgeoning music scene during the late 90’s. Since Moving to Wisconsin in 1999 John has become a highly sought-after side musician, playing with numerous regional and international artists and bands. He leads his own groups and is also a co-founder of Lesser Lakes Trio with longtime collaborators Devin Drobka and Jamie Breiwick as well as KASE, an improvised hip hop trio with Jamie and Turntablist Jordan Lee.

Matt Blair
Matt Blair is a pianist, composer, multimedia artist, and educator living in Madison, Wisconsin. His work draws upon diverse musical traditions such as jazz and improvisation, sound art, minimalism, and electronic music.

Since 2018, Matt has been releasing music on his label, Scribbled Fang Records. Recent releases have included Shadow Sets, a collection of compositions for solo piano that was produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus, Happy Apple), Post Rock Lately, the debut record of Collector, an improvising trio featuring Jakob Heinemann on bass and Devin Drobka on drums and electronics, and Flights and Poor Health Good Spirits, both releases by Big Thanks, a Minneapolis-based Trash House trio featuring Miles Allen on saxophone and clarinet and Jack Lussenden on drums. Other recent releases have included After Party (out on Dinzu Artefacts), the debut record of Yins, an electronic duo with Devin Drobka, and Resorts (out on Shifting Paradigm Records), a piano trio featuring Devin Drobka’s compositions with Aaron Darrell on bass. 

Austin Cebulske
Austin Cebulske is a saxophonist, educator, and composer hailing from the historically and culturally vibrant music scene of St. Louis, Missouri. He is currently residing in Madison, WI, where he serves as Lecturer of Saxophone & Music at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He leads an organ trio, Soul Impressions, his own jazz trio, and performs as a sideman in a diverse array of music ensembles in the Madison area. 

As a performer, Austin has released several albums as a leader, including a self-titled debut with his quartet in 2020 and a trio record, Slophouse, in 2021. He can also be heard as a sideman on recordings with artists like the Funky Butt Brass Band, Drew Zaremba’s Big Band, & the Zach Rich Sextet. Throughout his career, Austin has been privileged to perform with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Vincent Gardner, Donald Harrison, Carmen Bradford, Dick Oatts, Rodney Whitaker and Marquis Hill. His extensive performance history has led him throughout Europe and across much of the United States, including to such iconic venues as Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz At the Bistro, Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center and Dazzle Denver. 

Austin holds a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a M.A. in Jazz Studies from Northern Illinois University, and is currently finishing a D.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. His dissertation focuses on the colorful improvisational vocabulary of George Coleman.

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