On Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th, Boston's
Creative Nation Music will present the first Creative Nation Music Festival at the
Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The official local celebration of the label's fifth anniversary, and the culmination of its four-state package tour of New England, the festival will feature seven bands over the course of two nights.
The first night, hosted by Creative Nation Music recording artists,
Quartet of Happiness, will be headlined by special guests, Moppa Elliott's
Mostly Other People Do The Killing. Sunday night will be hosted by guitarist and Creative Nation Music founder,
Eric Hofbauer, and conclude with the official Boston CD release party for
Muse (CNM 015), the new recording by
The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra with special guest George Garzone. The festival's other performers will be the 1980's-loving saxophone duo
Ronald Reagan, the jazz-cum-avant-rock band
Scurvy and Creative Nation Music recording artists, the
Garrison Fewell/Eric Hofbauer Duo and
Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band.
Creative Nation Music Festival schedule:
Saturday, March 28th at 7:00 p.m.
Ronald Reagan
Scurvy
Quartet of Happiness
Mostly Other People Do The Killing
Sunday, March 29th at 7:30 p.m.
Garrison Fewell/Eric Hofbauer Duo
Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band
The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra with special guest George Garzone
The Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre is located at 820 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 per night ($10 with student ID) and $22 for a festival pass ($15 with student ID) that includes a free CD. Venue information is available at
http://www.cambridgeymca.org/theatre.html and (617) 661-9622. Event details and more information about Creative Nation Music can be obtained at
http://cnmpro.com.
About the performers:
Ronald Reagan
The Boston-based saxophone duo Ronald Reagan aims to revitalize America’s economy by promoting large tax cuts, moderate deregulation, reductions in inflation and a revival of 80’s pop music. Following undistinguished careers in film, actors-turned-saxophonists Kelly Roberge and Alec Spiegelman created this duo, which has displayed its light-hearted mix of performance art, nostalgia and musicianship at jazz venues and comedy clubs alike. When not firing air traffic controllers, failing to recall important details and winning one for The Gipper, the group is methodically planning its forthcoming tour of Grenada.
Quartet of Happiness
Co-led by saxophonists Kelly Roberge and Rick Stone, Quartet of Happiness infuses modern jazz with a hefty dose of irreverent humor, wrapping it in theatrics reminiscent of Blue Man Group. A 2007 Boston Music Awards nominee for Best Jazz Act of the Year, the band, which also features bassist Kendall Eddy and drummer Austin McMahon, has made it its mission to take jazz out of the ivory tower and make it accessible by playing games, wearing costumes and engaging the audience with their antics. Creative Nation Music will release its second recording,
The Monster Returns, this fall.
Scurvy
Scurvy’s music is a cacophony of angular melodies, interlocking rhythms and unrestrained improv couched in instrumental rock. Its music defies categorization, with a sound that blends metal, noise, punk, brutal prog and free improvisation. Led by saxophonist/composer Johnny Butler, the New York-based quintet features Ryan Snow (trombone), Adam Caine (electric guitar), Rus Wimbish (electric bass) and Jason Nazary (drums). Since the release of its now sold out live debut,
Legs, in 2008, the band has played dozens of gigs around New York, the Midwest and East Coast, including two previous stops in Boston.
Mostly Other People Do The Killing
Bassist/composer Moppa Elliott's quartet, Mostly Other People Do The Killing (MOPDtK), is one of the most talked about bands in creative improvised music today. The New York-based group, which features young virtuosos Peter Evans (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone) and Kevin Shea (drums), believes that not only is jazz still alive and vibrant, but it should be fun, engaging and thoroughly contemporary. Its third and most recent release, 2008's
This Is Our Moosic (Hot Cup Records), was called "the most fun, exciting and pleasurable surprise of the year" (Will Layman, PopMatters.com).
Garrison Fewell/Eric Hofbauer Duo
Garrison Fewell and Eric Hofbauer, two of Boston's most respected guitarists, perform duets inspired by the deeper roots of jazz in the music of West Africa, Persia and the Arabic-Islamic world. Using a variety of preparations to their instruments, and references to a wide range of historical and cultural themes, this intergenerational duo juxtaposes ancient traditions with the language and techniques of contemporary improvisation. AllAboutJazz.com's John Sharpe called their March 2008 debut,
The Lady of Khartoum (CNM 010), a "richly rewarding disc, resonant of other cultures and other times, yet firmly of its own."
Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band
Hofbauer founded The Infrared Band in 2007 after a decade of working as a solo performer, sideman and co-leader of various ensembles. The group performs his original compositions, which explore his intermingling interests in wordplay, mythology and puzzles. Critics have noted the band's "intriguingly original music" (Bill Milkowski,
JazzTimes), calling Hofbauer "a refreshingly original voice" (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com) and the band's debut, 2008's
Myth Understanding (CNM 011) "rewarding on every level" (Michael Coyle,
Cadence).
The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra
Boston-based composer Ayn Inserto founded her large ensemble in 2001 after receiving her Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies and Composition from New England Conservatory. The group has since performed at venues such as The Berklee Performance Center and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and collaborated with jazz greats Bob Brookmeyer, George Garzone, Joe Lovano and Frank Tiberi. Its second recording, February 2009's
Muse (CNM 015), is built around the theme of celebrating those who inspired her, including former teachers (Brookmeyer, Dave Eshelman and John Maltester) and eminent jazz musicians (Michael Brecker, Frank Foster and Steve Lacy).
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