The Lawson Ensemble was formed in the fall of 2009 with the mission to perform original music inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the Lawsonite people . Comprised of an exceptional cast of Bay Area improvising musicians, current members include Jacob Zimmerman (alto sax), Theo Padouvas (trumpet), Rob Ewing (trombone), Michael Coleman and Dan VanHassel (keyboards), and Dan Good (electronics and trumpet). In performance the Lawson Ensemble creates varying textures of complex, slowly shifting counterpoint through the use of pre-composed material and improvisation.  Notable points of reference for the project include Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, Arvo Pärt, and Bill Frisell.  Lawson recently released its first CD "Tales From the Land of Lawson" on the Table & Chairs record label from Seattle.

For Ava and John; Positively Right On by Zachary James Watkins is a new work written for Ava Mendoza and John Shiurba who are also the performers. For Ava and John; Positively Right On is scored for two electric guitars each with a unique just intonation tuning. The score combines recorded cues, notation and free improvisation.