Revisiting SeFa LoCo and the Art of Free Improv
SeFa LoCo was founded by percussionist Ron Coulter in 2020 as a free improvisation collective. From his base in remote Casper, Wyoming he recruited saxophonist Bret Sexton, guitarist Farrell Lowe and bassist Mike Facey from not-too-distant Colorado. Together, the four brought vast experienced in fields that ranged from jazz to classical composition to fringe experimental performance. Their commonalities including an affinity for spontaneous improvising, openness to new collaborations and embrace of the unknown. The group’s name is an amalgam of the first letters of their last names. Their recordings over the next five years have stretched the boundaries of creative music in unimagined ways.
After a critically acclaimed debut album, Creosote, the quartet started a series of projects with celebrity guests, each recorded live without pre-planning. Matt Smiley replaced Facey on bass as the quartet continued to evolve. Guests included Hugh Ragin (trumpet), Vinny Golia (flute and clarinet), Sam Newsome (saxophones), Aimee Niemann (violin) and Walter Thompson (piano).
Communicating on the fly through their shared language of music, SeFa LoCo and their guests repeatedly discovered uncharted territories, pristine habitats and ethereal vibes.
We wanted to capture the breadth of this quartet’s remarkable work, so Right Brain Records is releasing STRATA, a compilation drawn from six albums released between 2021 and 2025.
See below for more details about the compilation album. But first, a relevant diversion…
SeFa LoCo lives in the moment, not in the past. So, to mark this occasion, we’re also releasing new music — a single called “Wreckage,” recorded live at the Mercury Cafe in Denver in January of 2023. It’s the first recording with just the combo of Coulter, Sexton, Lowe and Smiley and captures moments of power, chaos and bliss in a single track.
Hear “Wreckage” on Bandcamp.
STRATA’s eight tracks, all 66 minutes of them, are:
“All Nervous”, from Creosote
“Dance and Decay”, from Dance and Decay, with Vinny Golia
“Grit”, from Esoteria, with Sam Newsome
“Expensive”, from Entanglements, with High Ragin
“Plinko”, from What Can We Say?, with Walter Thompson
“UAP Appears”, from Stare, with Aimee Niemann
“Tainted”, from Occurrency, with Hugh Ragin
“Spinning Room”, from Creosote.
Learn more about SeFa LoCo here.
STRATA’s cover photo is by Paul Blenkhorn.
“Wreckage” cover photo is by T. Ahzio via Unsplash.
Last, thought we’d share an alt, unused version of the compilation cover. This source photo is by Heliao. These photos are via Unsplash and we warmly thank these artists and encourage you to explore their work.
