Scott Amendola“If
Scott Amendola didn’t exist, the San Francisco music scene would have to invent him.”
Derk Richardson, San Francisco Bay Guardian
For
Scott Amendola, the drum kit isn’t so much an instrument as a musical portal. An ambitious composer, savvy bandleader and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings. His closest musical associates include guitarists, Nels Cline, Jeff Parker, Charlie Hunter, Hammond B-3 organist Wil Blades, violinists Regina Carter and Jenny Scheinman, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, players who have each forged a singular path within and beyond the realm of jazz.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amendola has forged deep ties across the country, and throughout the world. As an ambitious composer, savvy bandleader, electronics explorer, first-call accompanist, and capaciously creative foil for some of the world’s most inventive musicians, Amendola applies his wide-ranging rhythmic virtuosity to a vast array of settings. He’s never more than one degree away from a powerful musical hook-up.
Henry Kaiser"His massive output spans genres and cultures while never sounding like anyone else.
Henry Kaiser has earned his Pioneer label not only by championing experimental guitar for over three decades, but by exploring the fantastical underwater playground of Antarctica." Guitar Moderne.
Grammy winner
Henry Kaiser is widely recognized as one of the most creative and innovative guitarists, improvisers, and producers in the fields of rock, jazz, world, and contemporary experimental musics. The California-based musician is one of the most extensively recorded as well, having appeared on more than 300 different albums and contributed to countless television and film soundtracks. Mr. Kaiser not only produces and contributes to a staggering number of recorded projects, he performs frequently throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan, with several regular groupings as well as solo guitar concerts and concerts of freely improvised music with a host of diverse instrumentalists. He is also a longtime research diver in the US ANTARCTIC PROGRAM.
Evidence of his exceptional musical breadth and versatility can be found in just a few of the extraordinary artists with whom he has recorded and/or performed: Evan Parker, John Oswald, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Toshinori Kondo, Steve Lacy, John Stevens, Michael Stipe, D’Gary, Herbie Hancock, John Zorn, Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Laswell, John Stevens, Terry Riley, Michael Snow, Diamanda Galas, Thomas Mapfumo, Phil Lesh, Lukas Ligeti, Cecil Taylor, Negativland, and Michael McClure.
ÁLVARO DOMENE
“Álvaro Domene, total facemelt music. Just what I needed today.“ – Nate Chinen (The New York Times, NPR)
Álvaro Domene is a Madrid-born, New York based guitarist and composer operating at the convergence of various styles of contemporary creative music. His sound and compositions are influenced by the avant-garde jazz and modern classical traditions, as well as heavy musics. He has recently worked with Joe McPhee, Karl Berger, Briggan Krauss, Elliott Sharp, Michaël Attias, Jim Black, Colin Marston, Mike Pride, Peter Apfelbaum, Ches Smith, Michael Bisio, and Fred Lonberg-Holm.
Domene attended the jazz program at Middlesex University in London, and studied under Chris Batchelor, Elliott Sharp, and John Stowell. He is an active performer in New York City’s jazz and creative music scene, leading various groups in addition to working with numerous artists.
His work has been positively reviewed by Jazzwise, New York City Jazz Record, All About Jazz, Guitar Moderne, El Intruso, Tomajazz, and many other specialized media outlets like Avant Music News, on which a recent release, “Synaptic Self” by the trio dMu, was included in the list of “Best Albums of 2016”. Álvaro’s latest and first solo record, “The Compass”, was a “Recommended New Release” on The New York City Jazz Record, and Avant Music News featured it on their “Best Albums of 2018” list.