John Alberici
John Alberici has pushed the boundaries of normal guitar playing to it's breaking point by fusing soul, funk, folk and experimentation into a truly unique style. John's gentle and coaxing approach to music makes for an intimate performance whether he's using a traditional guitar, fretless baritone or double-neck acoustic. His innate sense of rhythm anchors the sound to the floor while his melodies soar. And he's a nice guy to boot.
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Saturday
October 21, 2006
John Alberici
&
Tommy Bendel
and an improvisational Jam
with Jon Francis,
Erik Major,
Adam Vacarelli,
Bob Vacarelli,
AND The Audience! |
Tommy Bendel
Mr. Bendel's drumming is characterized by its complimentary nature. He is happy to deliver a convincing 4/4, but his specialty is a percussive style that gently supports and creates movement. Creating a wide range of sounds with his slightly unorthodox instrumentation, Tom achieves acoustic yet machine-like sounds with cymbals atop floor toms, and coaxes eerie wails from scraped cymbals. As likely to take a feedback solo on a toy bullhorn as he is to lay down a pillowy backbeat with mallets, he manages to surprise with unexpected sounds that can enhance a song and/or generally cause a ruckus.
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Random Improv Member Bios
Adam Vacarelli - Having spent most of his childhood plucking rubber-bands and banging on random objects, there's no question of Adam Vaccarelli's lust for musical experimentation. At a young age, Adam immersed himself in the post polka/avant waltz scene indigenous to his hometown of Red Bank, NJ and honed his skills as a scientist of sound. Armed with a handful of conventional instruments, electronic devices, and various other objects, Adam and his cohorts changed the face of polka forever.
Bob Vacarelli - Brother of Adam, Bob Vacarelli hits things with other things. Some call him a percussionist -- other think he should be arrested. Either way, Bob has hammered his way into ensembles such as Horny Worms and Miss TK & the Revenge as well as noise projects that have teamed him up with the likes of Rotten Moldy Flesh and poet Edwin Torres.
Bradford Reed (musician/inventor) -
Bradford Reed never fails to entertain and inspire. This Brooklyn, NY based composer, performer and producer fights and tames the idiosyncrasies of the pencilina, an original instrument of his own design and construction. The pencilina is an electric ten stringed collision of the hammer dulcimer, slide guitar, koto and fretless bass with six pickups of varied types. It is struck with sticks, plucked and bowed, giving Reed an incredibly wide sonic palette. Many have enjoyed Reed's frequent street performances and club dates.
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David "Daxe" Axelrod
David Axelrod (known as "Daxe" to his friends, and "Daax" to some in the Pagan community) is a very prolific composer and musician. One of the founding members of Music for the Goddess and Water Torture Chamber Music, he also partook of those magical drum circles at the Portal of the Porcupine in Piscataway, New Jersey.
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Saturday
November 18th
David "Daxe" Axelrod
&
Silent Film Improv
with Friend's Hippo
About "Friend's Hippo"
A night of silent film and improv soundtracks with the rotating members of the Friend's
Hippo ensemble. Listen to them piece together a soundtrack so convincing you'll think they're as old as silent film itself. Just don't mention "talkies" and we'll all have fun. |
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Erik Major
Erik Major plays ukelele, percussion, electronics, turntables, piano, and the Hornaphone. He's performed rock and noise improv with numerous bands and projects: for theatre, bars, silent film, radio, and festivals. www.ptwang.com
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Saturday
December 16, 2006
Erik Major
&
Mike Black
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Mike Black
Mike Black's past experience includes a long stint in Guitar Craft; the series of music seminars began by Robert Fripp in 1985. He plays keyboards, synthesizers, vocoder and the “Warr Guitar”--- an 8 stringed tapping instrument. His self released CD “GO/NO-GO” has already been picked up by Troma Films, played on XM satellite radio, as well as numerous terrestrial and radio stations. He has played the NJ shore for years with bands and as a solo act.
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Ralph Farris
Ralph Farris is a founding member of Ethel. He dabbled with promising careers as a boy soprano, recorder virtuoso and church altar boy before finding his true calling as a crazed fiddler (although some might say that he never really gave up the altar boy gig). A Grammy® - nominated arranger, original Broadway orchestra member of Disney's The Lion King, and former Musical Director for The Who's Roger Daltrey, Ralph has worked with the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Harry Connick Jr., Allen Ginsberg, Yo-Yo Ma and the Pop sensation Dishwalla, among many others who prefer to remain anonymous. He successfully got through the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs at Juilliard without driving his teachers (too) crazy -- He even got an award! Ralph endorses Glasser carbon fiber bows and he sits on the board of his alma mater, Walnut Hill.
www.myspace.com/ralphfarris
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Saturday
January 20, 2007
Ralph Farris
&
Bradford Reed
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Bradford Reed
Perhaps a picture really is worth a Thousand Words!
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Dennis Young
Dennis Young composes his own music and his compositions combine influences from rock, jazz, dance, folk, and world music while incorporating unique rhythms and colorful musical textures to create his own original music. He is best known professionally as the marimba / percussionist for the legendary early 80's NYC band "Liquid Liquid". Best known for their dance music hit "Cavern" which was sampled by Grandmaster Flash in the making of "White Lines". Since then has released a number of solo records with his latest "Old Dog, New Tricks". Currently working on a new singer/songwriter record "Shadow" along with studio projects with Tussle, Stromba, David Axelrod, and Stephan Eicher. Also, playing live shows with his new acoustic project.
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Saturday
Feb 17, 2007
Dennis Young
&
a special guest
to be announced
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