Esthesis Quartet was formed in the Spring of 2021 with pianist Dawn Clement, flutist Elsa Nilsson, drummer Tina Raymond, and bassist Emma Dayhuff. What started as a composition support group to keep the creative juices flowing on zoom, became a dedicated writing and recording project. They played their first show together in LA at Sam First in August of 2021 and plan to release their first album in spring of ’22.

Esthesis Quartet plays original jazz with a reckless abandon that shakes the preconceptions of traditional instrumentation roles. They treat each other's compositions with understanding, respect and a treacherous amount of freedom, leading to musical explorations that resolve in unexpected directions. Esthesis Quartet was formed during a time when we couldn’t touch each other, and the name of the band reflects this. Esthesis means elementary sensations of touch, a reference to the missed human contact and how much music represented and strengthened these connections in lockdown. 

Each member of the Esthesis Quartet are dedicated performers, composers and educators, and they each live in one of the four time zones of the US. Pianist Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought-after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics, and fans through the US and abroad. Dawn is based in Denver, Colorado where she holds the role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Flutist Elsa Nilsson is originally from Gothenburg, Sweden but now based in New York City where she plays regularly at the many jazz clubs and is an adjunct professor at The New School. Paul Rauch of All About Jazz has said about her: “She is the logical choice to provide a next step for her instrument in the world of jazz and improvised music”. Bassist Emma Dayhuff is the most recent bassist to graduate from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance and is the fifth woman to ever participate in the prestigious program. She is currently based in Chicago where she is pursuing a DMA at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Drummer Tina Raymond is based in Los Angeles, CA, where she is the director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Northridge. A unique voice in the Los Angeles contemporary improvised music scene, Raymond blends traditional jazz vocabulary with African polyrhythm and classical percussion technique. She performs, adjudicates, and presents workshops worldwide.