Bands Page

Adam Levy Nels Cline Bill Frisell Marc Ribot Vinicius Cantuaria Steve Cardenas Brad Shepik Matt Munisteri Doug Wamble Dave MacNab Jim Campilongo Angus Martin Jeff Parker Tony Scherr Greg Leisz Danny Barnes Aaron Goldberg Art Hirahara Rachelle Garniez Will Holshouser Myra Melford Rob Burger Jeanette Lewicki Greg Cohen Trevor Dunn Lee Alexander Todd Sickafoose Tony Scherr Henry Grimes Tim Luntzel Matt Penman Danton Boller Christian McBride Kenny Wollesen Scott Amendola John Mettam Jim Black Mark Ferber Dan Rieser Ben Perowsky Andrew Borger Anton Fier Norah Jones Madeleine Peyroux Ron Miles Doug Wieselman Carla Bozulich Gina Leishman Steven Bernstein Russ Johnson Alan Ferber Carla Kihlstedt Marika Hughes Hank Roberts Eyvind Kang Jane Scarpantoni Charlie Burnham		that you're a concert promoter trying to figure out which band of mine you'd like to book. I'll pretend for your sake that my bands are like entrees that you can order from a menu. No, this is sick and once again my masochistic tendencies (or raw ambitions) are rising to the surface! This is impossible! My bands are more like ideas and with the exception of a few, rarely have fixed personnel. Of course my recordings give the impression that I have bands but, alas, although I frequently play with all the people on my recordings, I can rarely find a date that works for exactly the people on any one recording. So instead, on the left I'll include a list of some of the people that have brought my music to life, and down below I'll list a few of these 'ideas' with their corresponding likely combinations, and below this some notes on the other bands that have kept me busy, inspired, and paid over the last several years since moving to New York.



		String Quartet with Carla Kihlstedt, Eyvind Kang and Marika Hughes: This is a dream come true, a chance to play and learn from three of my favorite string players in one of the most acoustically perfect combinations. I met Carla during my time at Oberlin Conservatory but got to know her when we were both in the avant rock band Charming Hostess in Oakland, CA. She went on to form a band called Sleepytime Gorilla Museum with one of the other six kids from my hometown (Danny Rathbun), and is a founding member of Tin Hat Trio as well as 2 Foot Yard. Eyvind Kang lives on an island off Seattle, is a transcendent improviser and arranger, has a collection of solo recordings (7 Nades, A Story of Iceland are two of my favorites), tours with The Secret Chiefs, Mike Patton and Fantomas, Beck, Arto Lindsay among many others. We got to know each other touring with Bill Frisell's 858 Quartet and as co-conspirators of the Barbes Philharmonic (see below). Marika Hughes, the granddaughter of legendary cellist Emanuel Feuerman, is a more recent collaborator, has a deep groove and wonderful rich singing tone, and is a member of Carla's solo project 2 Foot Yard.

		The Barbes Philharmonic (Septet plus String Orchestra conducted by Eyvind Kang): From the first notes at Tonic on September 12, 2005 (tremelo harmonics in the upper strings with some low swells in the cellos followed by a rubato clarinet melody with the strings subtly shifting to outline the chords), this band promised something new: a way for a large group of strings to interact, emphasize and light a fire under a great band of improvisers, all through the genius conduction and conducting of Eyvind Kang. The string arrangements are a balance of written parts, cued backgrounds, and conducted sounds and textures. I'm hoping to record this soon and have fantasies of touring with the septet (the band from 12 Songs) plus Evyind Kang and picking up local string sections in every city. (violins: Beth Cohen, Skye Steele, Sam Bardfeld, Mazz Swift, Meredith Yayanos, Charlie Burnham, Jennifer Choi, Brittany Haas, Jeff Gauthier) (viola: David Gold, Lev Ljova, Matt Maneri, Ron Lawrence, Jill Jaffe) (celli: Marika Hughes, Natalie Haas, Chris Hoffman, Dana Leong, Okkyung Lee, Catherine Bent, Gregory D Heffernan, Chris Hoffman, Thomas Ulrich, Gregor Huebner, Dave Eggar, Eric Friedlander, Hank Roberts, Jane Scarpantoni) (I usually follow the classic balance of 50% violins, 25% violas, 25% cello so clearly all of these cellists wouldn't be part of any one single performance, but I had to include the names of all these incredible players not only because any one of them might participate, but also to illustrate the recent surge in popularity of this instrument, at least in New York.)

		Instrumental Originals — jazz bands: I have four books of original instrumental music organized according to when they were written and on which album they appear (if they have been recorded), in total it is somewhere around 80 tunes. On gigs where I play this music I usually just bring all 4 books and call out chart numbers in the style of an old fashioned big band leader. A recent favorite touring band for this repetoire is Myra Melford, Ron Miles, Todd Sickafoose and Mark Ferber but there are many musicians now that are familiar with this music (see left hand side).

		Acoustic Music: I have a lifelong interest in the history and repertoire of the violin as an acoustic portable instrument. As a young person I played the American folk repertoire, as a young adult I learned much of the Stephane Grappelli/Django Reinhardt repertoire, and as a working musician I've been exposed to klezmer, tango, valse musette, South American folk music — the list goes on. A recent obsession has been the music of Lionel Belasco, a native Venezuelan who lived mostly in Trinidad and New York, and who wrote a whole book of wonderful string band calypsos in the 1930s that features violin, clarinet, piano, percussion, and guitar. In addition to performing at various NY venues this 'band' is frequently hired for weddings and other special occasions.

		The Singing Band (A Date With Jenny): The repertoire is rooted in my own personal favorites from childhood and is quickly growing: country blues, old time surrealism, extravagant florid hits from the 50s, cowboy incantations, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rodgers, Willie Nelson, Lucinda and Hank Williams. Frequent bandmembers are Norah Jones and members of her Handsome Band (Adam Levy, Lee Alexander, Adam Levy), Tony Scherr, Bill Frisell, and Doug Wamble.

		The Django Project with Marc Ribot: I once overheard a conversation between Marc Ribot and a young fan who approached him after a gig asking for some guitar lessons. It went something like this: Marc: I can't teach you anything that you can't learn by transcribing Eric Dolphy and Django Reinhardt. Student: But I'm a terrible transcriber and I'll get it all wrong. Marc: All that matters is what you hear; there's no such thing as wrong, half of genius is misinterpretation. In getting it all wrong Marc gets it all right. I've been playing the music of Django Reinhardt since my teens and Marc is the only guitarist so far that can comes close to the radical hack freedom of Django. Also, his basic emotional palette is the reverse of mine — whereas I find myself endlessly in the peace-love camp, he is totally comfortable in the fight camp which is great fun for me and adds a little old-fashioned punk rock hostility to the performances.

		Duos: I have always been attracted to the risky, the challenging. This was one of the things that, as a risk-seeking teenager, made jazz attractive. It seemed to provide the biggest challenge of all: to improvise with others in front of audience. This experience is most intense in the form of the duo which amplifies intimacy and provides absolutely no place hide. Some of my favorite duet playing has been with Bill Frisell ("Moe Hawk"), Steve Cardenas (often playing the music of Gershwin), Adam Levy, Greg Cohen and Rachelle Garniez.


		The Unspeakable Orchestra: Winner of the 2004 Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album! Bill Frisell (guitar), Hal Wilner (turntables), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Hank Roberts (cello), Tony Scherr (bass); and Kenny Wollesen (drums), Steven Bernstein (trumpet), Briggan Krauss (saxes), Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), Don Alias (percussion)

		The Intercontinentals: 2003 Grammy nominees - Bill Frisell (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Christos Govetas (vocals/oud/bazouki), Vinicius Cantuaria (guitar/vocals/drums), Sidiki Camara (calabash/djembe/vocals), Greg Leisz (pedal steel/lap steel).

		The 858 Quartet: I have always wanted to belong to a string section and this one is a complete dreamboat — Eyvind Kang (viola) and Hank Roberts (cello.) We are for hire. Mysterio Simpatico: Bill Frisell (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Jim Woodring (cartoonist) and Ron Miles (trumpet).

		A Trio: Bill Frisell (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Greg Leicz (pedal and lap steel). In several interviews Bill has mentioned that Greg is the other half of his brain. In light of this I'll mention two little bits of trivia: 1) their birthdays are exactly six months apart which, according to my vague understanding of astrology, is about the equivalent of being each other's other halves, and, 2) Greg's 25-year pseudonym "Les Paine" perfectly and unintentionally balances Bill's much more recent pseudonym "Moe Hawk". Someday we will have to do a moe hawk, less pain show.

		That tour with Djelimadi Tounkara had them dancing - Bill Frisell (guitar), Djelimadi Tounkara (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Greg Leisz (pedal and lap steel), Sidiki Camara (percussion). A Sextet: Bill Frisell (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin) Ron Miles (trumpet), Tony Scherr (bass), Kenny Wollesen (drums) and Sidiki Camara (percussion).



		Madeleine Peyroux Band: In the late Fall of 2005 I was able to travel with Madeleine (and Aaron Goldberg, Matt Penman and Dan Rieser) through South America which was a completely transforming experience, for the music and the company. She is one of the singers who can make it seem like it's the words that are making you cry. Though she's been compared ad nauseum to Billie Holiday I find her to be a more original voice than any jazz singer on the scene, someone who is more suprising and risky than most. And most importantly, she knows what she's singing about.

		Vinicius Cantuaria Band: In a good mood Vinicius calls himself the matador of love, in his worst mood he is a "perrito," a stray dog roaming the deserted streets of some lonely town. His music is equally dramatic and always beautiful. Here's a question: how do the Brazilians get away with all those fancy chords and still manage to play pop music?

		Scott Amendola Band: Back in the day we used to play at Bruno's on Mission St. every Tuesday night. Since I've left the SF Bay Area we've spent a few months a year on the road together in Valentine, the lustiest of all vehicles.

		Matt Munisteri and Brock Mumford: I guess I'd be called a frequent special guest brought in to enhance the Willard Robeson tunes that the band is planning to record soon. He is a digger-up of diamonds.

		Rachelle Garniez and the Fortunate Few: Rachelle has everything; beauty, drama, comedy and song. an excerpt: "Mr Lady, she said somebody save me, I been sippin on a fruit cocktail, been slippin on the slidin' scale Rubberneck I want to rent ya, double decker cost extra you say you wanna get bent, Mr. Lady here can help you get your money spent. Mr Lady she play stricktly old school, just shakin what her mama gave her. Mr. Lady she play you by the rules, slap on some of that pancake and strap up the family jewels."

		Carla Bozulich: Carla is a number one muse. Deeply original, singer and persona extraordinaire. She founded The Geraldine Fibbers, recorded Scarnella with guitarist Nels Cline, and recently released her interpretation of The Red Headed Stranger in which I take a solo with Willie Nelson.

		Chris Berry: Chris Berry and I were co-leaders of a my very first band, Ome-Ya, which had a smash success in the tiny town of Arcata, California. After 15 years in Zimbabwe, where he often dominated the pop charts, he's back with a new New York-based funk band Pangea and an acoustic ensemble that focuses on traditional mbira music.

		Vince Giordiano and the Nighthawks: This is the best early jazz big band in existence and includes all of the nicest early jazz fanatics in New York. Basya Schechter and Pharoah's Daughter: Basya and I have played together in many different contexts, the most official of which being Pharoah's Daughter, a band that at its most extravagant includes an entire string section and belly dancers.

		Leni Stern: If you can't make the late night hang at the 55 Bar maybe you're already planning to attend the conference on metaphysics (and other things that make you hot when you rub them on your skin?) If so, we'll be there surrounded by an entourage of the most beautiful women of the big apple. Leni's the one with the Persian cat on a leash.