Biography
Fractal is fronted by guitarist Libby Roach. Along with a rotating roster of local professional musicians and sit-in soloists, Roach presides over a group that takes classic jazz influences (Coltrane, Tyner) along with a love of 70's fusion (ala Davis, Corea, Hancock) and adds an awareness of conceptually jazz-rooted musics (Avante-Garde/Experimental, Jungle, Drum'n'Bass etc.)
Roach, the principal songwriter and bandleader, earned her Bachelors in Music degree from Portland State University, working under the direction of jazz greats such as Jerry Hahn, Darrell Grant, Alan Jones and Glen Moore. She has also played in various PDX jazz and rock bands for the past seven years. Fractal's current line-up is rounded out by bassist Damian Erskine (Tony Furtado), drummer Kipp Crawford (Celilo), Keyboardist Matt Weiers, and multi-instrumental soloist/percussionist Paul Evans (Taarka).
Though currently a five-piece band, Fractal's instrumentation includes soprano sax, melodica, all manner of Latin percussion, electric piano, and classic synth tones along with Roach's guitar and the solid and progressive rhythm section provided by Crawford and Erskine. The result is music with a forward-thinking structure, well rooted in the foundations of traditional Jazz music, and presented in the sonic vernacular and instrumentation of classic 70s fusion.
It's Jazz, man.
Instrumentation
Libby Roach, guitar and vocals
Paul Evans, sax and percussion
Andrew Oliver, keys
Sam Howard, bass
Kipp Crawford, drums
Discography
Fractal Quintet
We have had some airplay on the local Jazz station, KMHD.
Links
| http://www.fractalquintet.com |