Music
Press
" Hip Bones are a rare treat for music lovers. The three piece outfit delivers infectious, groove-oriented jazz that's akin to Medeski, Martin & Wood, and their album, Threedom, is a wonderful collection of well-written originals and well-chosen covers." - Metro Beat
"Fusing instrumental jazz with funk and rock, the Hip Bones serve up a steady diet of original jazz groove along with tasty takes on familiar tunes... a sure bet to please fans who like music that's willing to take chances on exploring unchartered territory." - Creative Loafing
"You haven't lived 'til you've heard what they do with the funk R&B classic, 'For The Love Of Money,' or their medley of Sting's 'Driven To Tears' and Hendrix's 'Third Stone from the Sun.'" - Independent Weekly
"San Francisco-based jazz-funk trio Hipbones puts its, um, hip twist on Miles Davis and Charlie Parker standards, and ably reinterprets songs by Sting and Cream with funky chops. Hipbones' originals are just as feisty. Even diehard traditionalists will have to take notes when the band performs at the Evening Muse in Charlotte" - Charlotte Observer
"Grooving, sax-fronted jazz group Hip Bones are consistently interesting yet not overly slick. Drummer ROBIN TOLLESON's engaging delivery makes you raise an eyebrow with his over-the-bar phrasing on album-opener "Scram" and the perfectly placed duple rolls in the half-time shuffle of The Police's "Walking On The Moon." He knows how to set up others too, catching a tambourine here or a splash there, always lending the right support for Gary Schwantes' cool sax solos. The excellent recording seals the deal on a satisfying listen. (Ilya Stemkovsky) - Modern Drummer
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Bad long before The Bad Plus, Hipbones emerged during the "hip bop" heyday in San Francisco, playing clubs at the heart of the jazz-funk scene like the Up & Down Club, Eleven, and Yoshi's, always offering its own distinctive instrumental funk, as well as thoughtfully irreverent arrangements of material from the world of popular music - a new generation's standards.
Hipbones was founded in 1994 by drummer Robin Tolleson, along with keyboardist Joey Edelman, trumpeter Dave Scott, and bassist Ingo York. The band released their debut, NOT FOR SALE, exploring the trio format, with Scott adding some keys and York performing live bass looping. The band became a club and festival favorite, and released its second CD early in 1998, ONE DAY AROUND THE BLOCK. More changes were in store for the band later that year as York moved back to his native Germany, and Scott was replaced by San Francisco woodwind player/composer Gary Schwantes.
Schwantes put his performing and composing skills to work on the Bones' 2002 release, THREEDOM, which also featured new bassist Dan Andrews. Continuing to build momentum with THREEDOM, Hipbones began performing on the east and west coasts, at clubs like San Francisco's Boom Boom Room, Enrico's, Bacar and Bistro Yoffi, Jupiter in Berkeley, Soho in Santa Barbara, The Pour House in Charleston, SC, The Handlebar in Greenville, SC, The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, The Brandy House in Atlanta, GA, and The Preservation Pub in Knoxville, TN.
Early in 2006, Hipbones played a 15-date tour to announce the release of a new CD, titled, 4. Produced by Robin Tolleson and Gary Schwantes, it is the band's fourth release, and is also the first time they have utilized the talents of both bassists, Dan Andrews and Dustin Hofsess, in the studio.
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