AREA 15

Artist Information

Biography

AREA 15 LIVE is the result of three talented sidemen who burned out on performing homogenized, cookie cutter, cliched music for uninspired band leaders.

While packing up their equipment one night after a lounge gig, they mutually agreed that they should get another gig together and play with reckless abandon.

The drummer, Ben Makinen, scored the gig.
The guitarist, Mitch Chmara, inspired the naming of the group with his sensitivity towards the outer limits.
The bass player, Eric Thorin, had a mile-wide grin that challenged anyone to throw any chord and any groove his way at any time.

Area 15 takes its influence from Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Area 15 will use any song as a vehicle for improvisation.

The first four tracks on AREA 15 LIVE happened in one take, on one night, after no rehearsal. The fifth track happened the same way-only three months later at a different night club.

With Mitch's originals (the first two tracks) he simply told the guys what he had in mind, a couple chords and a feel, and then he said,"Just follow me..."

The standards were treated as launching pads for contemporary improvisation/conversation.

Instrumentation

Mitch Chmara-guitar
Eric Thorin-bass
Ben Makinen-drums

Discography

"AREA 15 LIVE" for sale at cdbaby.com/area15
"Lost Lullaby" for sale at cdbaby.com/makinen

Official Website

http://www.benmakinen.com

Audio

• Ballad-untitled
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• Whole Down Half Up
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• Blues In Flat 9
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• Stadium Rock!
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• There Is No Greater Love
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Lyrics

• Whole Down Half Up

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Garageband.com Awards AREA15 With Track Of The Day [+ Show ]
  

  AREA15's live performance of Blues In Flat Nine has been awarded The Track Of The Day - 7/27/05 - b...AREA15's live performance of Blues In Flat Nine has been awarded The Track Of The Day - 7/27/05 - by garageband.com.
  
  Visit http://www.garageband.com/artist/AREA15LIVE

• A Full-fledged Fretboard Fantastique ! [+ Show ]
  

  The pure love of playing is showcased in a masterpiece performance! Fretboard fire and frenzy in a f...The pure love of playing is showcased in a masterpiece performance! Fretboard fire and frenzy in a freeform jazz jam!
  
  A fast swing arrangement for a jazz trio, this awesome improvisational format explores uncharted ground with bold bravado. Tonal and modal moments arrive like scenery along the highway at a pedal-to-the-metal pace. This trip unveils unpredictable soundscapes under fretwork flights of fancy, with flourishes flairing up, floating in the foreground, flying past, fierce and festive, furious, fast, and all fed with feel and finese. F*in' fantastic!
  
  With this fretted fusion engine fuelling the tempo, the bassist fans the flames with his own fitting flair. From firey fluidity to full, fat, fidelity, he holds the rhythm down to earth while adding his own tasty flourishes of melodic fuel. Walking lines at a jog, a trot, a run, he enriches the sound with low end depth with confident competence. Phat!
  
  The drummer's firing on all cylinders with bop-style taste and power, his chops up to par and on the mark! He keeps the meter with polished precision, tight to the rhythm, and launches off in orbit with improvisational intuition as smooth as a flywheel. Swingin', boppin', punchin' and choppin', man, this cat's drivin' with cool control! Top-notch!
  
  A sound mix attuned to the atmosphere they're creating captures the entire excursion in this incredible live performance. The way these guys can read each other, the way they anticipate and respond with such dynamic feel, is absolutely mind-boggling! But here it all is, recorded in all its fret-felt fidelity! Simply off the chart, man! Excellent, excellent performance! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
  
  - Detective
  Syracuse, New York
  

Setlist

Originals and standards from all genres: Varies according to gig and audience.

Basic Requirements

Calendar