With And the light from which you came is now the [love] work we must do, Missoula, Montana based composer and trumpet player Bill Kautz makes his recording debut on Redshift Records with a deeply personal album alongside cellist Jessica Catron, guitarist Jeremy Drake and violinist Aria Peters.
And the light… is a new four movement chamber work by Kautz that draws inspiration from the story of the life, death and ongoing influence of his infant son Sterling, harnessing each family member’s unique voice, contribution and influence to their ongoing story. This work balances composed material with improvisation while highlighting the healing power of love and the ongoing journey of grief.
TRACKS
1. Movement 1: An Incredible Possibility / Playfulness / Something Is Not Right 9:46
2. Movement 2: Awaiting / The Miracle and Fragility of Life / Holding on Together 8:54
3. Movement 3: Isolation / Searching 6:24
4. Movement 4: A New Light / Always Together 8:58
All compositions by Bill Kautz.
CREDITS
Jessica Catron, cello
Jeremy Drake, guitar
Bill Kautz, trumpet and composition
Aria Peters, violin
Recorded November 23rd 2024 in Missoula, Montana
Recording Engineer: Noah Glover
Mixed and mastered by Andrew Munsey in Seattle, Washington
Photography by Dónal Lakatua
Cover art: Augustus Wildflowers, 2024, by Kurt Herrmann
Layout design by Lukas Phelan
Made possible by a grant from the Montana Arts Council.
And the light from which you came is now the [love] work we must do is available from
The physical CD is available directly from Bill Kautz at billkautz.bandcamp.com.
TK596 © ℗ 2026 William R Kautz, ASCAP
All rights reserved / Tous droits réservés
Release date: October 2, 2026
FROM THE COMPOSER
This music is a gift to you. A gift for you to absorb, connect with and carry in your unique way.
This music is built upon the shared experience of love as a force of healing, strength and guidance. Love within sorrow, and love within joy. The inspiration for this music comes from my family as we celebrated the birth of our twin boys, while simultaneously preparing for our son Sterling’s final moments on Earth. Despite the medical data on his condition, he continued to live far beyond what was expected which is undoubtedly due to his unique spirit and strength, but also to the constant love and care that surrounded him during his short time with us.
This music is not simply a tribute to Sterling, although none of this music would have been possible without his presence. Rather, this music shows the impact of Sterling’s life upon an entire family unit and how each member of the family rose up to bring their unique spirit into a journey of living in and with grief coupled with love. As the composer and father, my role within this music was that of the listener, the observer and the storyteller. I do not have a role within the music as the other family members do, but it comes from my perspective and my own unique heartache. I did my best to conjure up a little bit of my children and wife’s essence musically which you can follow as they individually weave together to create this tapestry of music.
Yes, this music derives itself from our very unique situation, but it is my hope that others who have experienced the death of a child or loved one can not only relate to the challenging and ever-changing nature of living with grief, but that they can also feel that their unique story is heard and valued. It is through telling our stories that we honor our loved ones and lean more deeply into that love as we move forward. Those who are gone still teach and speak through us, providing priceless wisdom for how to continue with our lives.
Above all, I hope you can feel that love and beauty are still possible after loss even with a hole that you can never fill. Perhaps beauty and love will feel more pronounced than ever before.
Bill Kautz, July 2026
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.From “On Joy and Sorrow” by Kahlil Gibran
PRAISE
“Kautz’s And the light from which you came is now the [love] work we must do is an intimate collection of musical dialogues that move through different colors, characters, and styles, with an openness that feels like old friends sharing deep truths. The compositions and interwoven improvisations seem like they could grow in any direction, yet proceed with an inevitability, lead generously by composer and trumpeter Bill Kautz, whose soulful and gentle sound carries a melancholic warmth throughout the work. Despite loss being central to the ethos behind Kautz’s work, the music knows itself and speaks with resounding clarity and cohesion. The lullaby emerging within the trumpet solo captures the essence of this music, inner wistful beauty, the unsung wrench of the heart, the meandering uncertainty of what comes after, alongside a continued connection to heart, soul, and togetherness.”
Joanna Mattrey, violist
ABOUT BILL KAUTZ
Trumpet player, composer and educator Bill Kautz has worked in a variety of creative music projects in Missoula, Seattle and Northfield, MN including work with Karl Blau, Michelle Boulé, Jen Gilleran, Cole Bronson, Jessica Catron, Jeremy Drake, Simon Henneman, Brian Johnson, Wendy Lewis, LAKE, Michael Musick, Tricia Opstad, Aria Peters, Naomi Siegel, Neil Welch, and as a leader and composer for his ensembles crosstalk and Golden Mean. He also runs an active trumpet studio for elementary to high school students.
Bill is a DJ and producer of Something Else, a weekly radio program featuring creative, improvised and modern classical music and in depth artist interviews on KBGA Missoula since 2017. He is also a proud father and husband.
Bill is a recipient of a 2023 and 2024 Montana Arts Council Strategic Investment Grant as well as a 2023 City of Missoula Public Art Committee Performance Grant.
