Vortex Park
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Vortex Park

Atlanta, Georgia, United States | SELF

Atlanta, Georgia, United States | SELF
Band Alternative Jazz

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"2 FOOT YARD w/ Vortex Park"

Click link to read article... - Evil Sponge


"RadioPotato Includes Vortex Park's "Through a Hole" in January's Top Five List"

RadioPotato Includes Vortex Park's "Through a Hole" in January's Top Five List - Radio Potato


"2 Foot Yard w/ Vortex Park"

New York band 2 Foot Yard has a rather distinctive lineage: beyond the classical training and heritage of members of the group, they have also played in the backing bands of artists as varied as Mary J Blige and Laurie Anderson. Based upon this, as well as the rather pretty tunes available online, I took a chance on the Thursday evening before Memorial Day and ventured out to The EARL by myself to see what 2 Foot Yard sounded like in a live setting.

The opening band, Atlanta's Vortex Park, is a group which I have seen previously. However, it has been many months since the last time I encountered them, and I was eager to see how they had matured and changed in the intervening time. Currently a four piece with vocals/guitar, stand up bass, drums, and violin, Vortex Park's music can be hard to pin down upon first listen. The easiest way to describe this act is to say that they have both gypsy and jazz influences which are accentuated by syncopated rhythms.

In particular, their third song, a tune called No Compromise, demonstrated the above characteristics in abundance. This one was simply lovely, with a longish melodic interlude in the middle which played the mournful violin part against the other instruments in something reminiscent of Ferocious Bubbles. Conversely, in one of the songs in the latter part of their set the violin showed a slightly different dimension, with an almost funk-like sound, which was nicely done if a bit unexpected. By the time they left the stage, I was convinced that Vortex Park has certainly matured as a cohesive group and they definitely have a distinctive and unusual sound for a local Atlanta band. Certainly this is one to listen for, especially if you are looking for something a little offbeat and not caught up in a musical land of effects and pedals.

After a shortish interlude, the three piece 2 Foot Yard took the stage. The male guitarist sat behind the drumkit and kept the rhythm whilst also providing guitar-y accompaniment to some tunes. At the front of the stage, violinist Carla Kihlstedt and cellist Marika Hughes shared vocal duties. Based on the tracks I had heard previously, I expected the music to be gentle and unassuming, sort of like Azure Ray.

However, what I heard was in fact way more interesting. Although many of their songs were quite lovely, other tunes built to a loud, deliberately discordant peak. Likewise, the two vocalists also seemed to alternate between gentle, breathy melodies and precise harmonies that seemed to be based on diminished chord progressions. The second style of vocals can sound prickly to some people, but listening closely you could hear the deliberation behind the construction. And I guess that's the one thing that struck me about the music: it was extremely precise both in the writing as well as in the execution. In some ways it reminded me of Beat the Devil filtered through the collective nature of Anti-Social Music.

In the end, both bands on display tonight were quite different than I had expected. Vortex Park's increasing complexity and structure serves them well. In contrast, 2 Foot Yard moved beyond the light delicateness I thought I would hear and served up something much more intriguing and interesting. A surprisingly good night of music, all in all. - Evil Sponge


"Sucked into a vortex"

Strings, strings and more strings - this is Atlanta-based band Vortex Park’s focus in which they center their diverse abilities as a musical quartet.

Their performance on Friday night at Eighth & Rail was not your average rock show, your average jam session, or your average jazz club experience. There was something among all those varieties that not only allowed them to combine the genres, but to break through them to form something simple, charming and different from the sometimes banal Auburn-Opelika musical arena.

The large double bass is the first stage item that catches the spectator’s eyes, and the jazz deeply rooted in Justin Roberts’ style of play sets a smooth line for the audience to mock-strum the table as if it really were so large an instrument. Next, Rurik Nunan’s violin takes on many forms, flowing from neo-classical violin through one song to a bluegrass-fiddle the next, charming the audience’s ears. The percussion is present in the form of drums and bongos with Brad Stott keeping the beat behind them and a rhythm for the dance floor. Alex Wolf, guitarist and vocalist for has quite a repertoire of acoustic styles. He completes the string section with his folk, Americana, jazz and Latin riffs, allowing the listeners catch an array of sweet acoustic styles.

The band has recently started playing what they call “Underneath.” They have set up one of their basements as a 32-seat venue in which, for $10, fans may watch the show, have some complimentary beer and hang out after the show. Other artists have played Underneath, including Noah Earle.

Tickets may be purchased online at vortexpark.com, and with songs like “Lies” and “Hit the Floor,” Vortex Park is definitely worth a glance. - The Corner News


Discography

Follow the Elephant (2011)

Produced by 2011 Grammy Nominee, Nick Chahwala, at Tree Sound and Namaste Studios, this eight song album is the band's first real studio recording. With true to form Vortex Park eclectic writing and musicianship, along with guest musicians, Joe McGuinness, Leah Calvert, Prisca Strother, & Nick Chahwala, this album is certain to impress your ears and mind.

LIVE at the Vortex Park Room: Premiere Show

An evening to be remembered for sure, this nine song contribution was recorded live at the Vortex Park Room (now named Underneath) in front of a sold out studio audience. Songs include Control, Hold On, Bee Sting, No Comprimise, Disappear, Shadow, Vortex Premiere, Sea and Gypsy Metropolis. Alex Wolf on Guitar & Vocals, Justin Roberts on double bass, Rurik Nunan on violin, Chris McGahey on mandolin and Brad Stott on percussion.

Rehearsal 2/16/2006

One of the first recordings in the new studio in Atlanta, Ga. The trio, Alex Wolf (guitar & vocals), Justin Roberts (double bass) and Jim Kirkland (violin & bazouki) rehearse in the control room and get some nice enough takes to put down the some of the first recordings of Bee Sting, Gypsy Metropolis, Through a Hole, Flat Broke and Thoughts Near October (22 minutes total).

Demo Uno (2005)

The very first recorded contribution to the project, Vortex Park. The trio on the album is Alex Wolf (guitar & vocals), Justin Roberts (double bass), and Jim Kirkland (violin). Four songs, including Out, Shadow, Hit the Floor and Magnificent (15.6 minutes total) make up this early rendition of the songs' evolution.

Photos

Bio

VORTEX PARK was founded in 2005 when singer/songwriter, Alex Wolf, teamed up with double bassist, Justin Roberts, and began playing the Atlanta local scene. With Roberts’ solid and thumping bass lines and Wolf’s thoughtful lyrics and extremely eclectic writing styles, Vortex Park made an early impression on its audiences. Brad Stott and Rurik Nunan later joined, adding a dynamic rhythmic presence on percussion and a wailing and melodic violin giving Vortex Park depth and emotion that continue to attract new and diverse audiences. Most recently, they were joined by star-drummer, Noel Felty, giving them their boldest sound on stage yet.

Vortex Park consistently plays the Atlanta scene, including venues such as Five Spot, The Earl and Red Light Cafe, just to name a few. In 2008, Vortex Park crossed the state line, making it known in Alabama their intention to tour the region; and shortly thereafter, Asheville, North Carolina became a regular road trip.

As Vortex Park continues to evolve and receive loyal support, the band members’ determination and dedication to creating an exciting, relevant and unique experience for their fans has even further strengthened.

Illustrating their innovative approach to music and art, the band self-produced a video for the first track off their 2011 released album, Follow the Elephant. It was first uploaded in December 2010, and after only 2 months it received over 9,000 views.

ALEX WOLF - Guitar and Lead Vocals - Returning to the stage in 2006 after a 11-year hiatus from playing out live, Wolf makes good use of his vast array of influences in order to write unique, eclectic songs with lyrics that range from story-telling to political relevance to raw emotional confession. As a seasoned guitarist of 25+ years, Wolf’s guitar work shows much experience with the determination to really “go for it” as well. In the early nineties, Wolf fronted Athens-based grungy-groovy rock band, Both Sides, who shared the stage with many great artists, most notably Widespread Panic and Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, played most of the finer stages in the regional southeast and recorded with legendary producer/engineer, Johnny Sandlin. Wolf was born on August 20, 1970 in Washington D.C.

JUSTIN ROBERTS - Double Bass - Roberts started off playing guitar in the Atlanta-based rock band, To Whom It Concerns, who won a number of competitions that lead to a sponsorship from Miller Lite and went on to play Lollapalooza 2003, the Riverbend Festival and 99x Big Rock opening for The Roots and The Donnas. Then Roberts began playing double bass in the bluegrass band, Smokey’s Farmland Band, which played Harvest Festival 2004 with Medeski, Martin & Wood, Tony Rice, Derek Trucks, Bob Weir and others. Roberts makes use of his rock and bluegrass influences in order to provide Vortex Park with a solid, thumping foundation with the natural ability to find the choice notes and accents that help make the music even more interesting. Roberts was born on February 25, 1978 in, Alabama.

RURIK NUNAN - Violin and Backing Vocals - Nunan was born on March 17, 1983 in Moscow, Russia to an American father and Russian mother. Soon afterwards, he moved to Atlanta, GA and began studying classical violin at the age of four. In addition to his experience performing in various youth orchestras, Rurik was exposed to a wide range of folk music such as Balkan, Greek, Russian, and of course, the many sounds of American folk and popular music. After four years at Loyola University of New Orleans and complete immersion in classic jazz, Cajun music, and modern New Orleans jazz and funk, Nunan’s musical palette was replete with the many styles and influences that he now draws on in his playing. In addition to Vortex Park, Nunan plays in a variety of other settings and frequently adds his violin to projects ranging from bluegrass to progressive rock.

BRAD STOTT - Percussion - Stott was born in West Michigan on November 18, 1977 and started studying percussion at age 10 through the local school system. Throughout high school, he was lucky enough to travel the US and Europe competing and performing while studying under several esteemed members of the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble including Dave Zerbe (Aretha Franklin, Michael Feinstein) and Doug Corella (The Verve Pipe, The Cells). While pursuing an engineering degree, Stott added further diversity to his musical influences by studying Jazz and Latin music under Mike Irish (Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Bellson, Dave Samuels) and playing with several jazz combos and the Latin/jazz group Salsa Norte. It was during this time that his repertoire grew to include hand percussion, which has become such an important aspect of his style today. After college, Stott played with Brant Losinski (Rootstand) and also performed with the rock band Still Listening, sharing the stage with such acts as The Waiting, Smalltown Poets, Clear, Considering Lily and Shane Barna