Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"Neptune is essentially an acoustic chamber ensemble, with decidedly imaginative, adventurous leanings and - not surprisingly - a well-schooled sense of how to play jazz. It's the sort of outfit musicians love to play with, and it can be magical live; but "Thaw's" success is measured by how strong the writing is and how well it's all captured on CD."
~ Chris Rietz - Lansing State Journal
"The Neptune Quartet features acoustic bass, cello, guitar and mandolin. If you attended the Toronto convention you had the chance to hear them in concert and might also have attended their excellent workshop on Latin rhythms. In addition you might have encountered them anchoring late night jam session that were notable for their interesting choice of tunes and friendly atmosphere.
The Quartet's recording opens boldly with a beautiful rendition of Joe Zawinul's "In a Silent Way", a tune made famous by Miles Davis on the album of the same name. It's immediately apparent how important Crispin Campbell's cello is to the group's sound. The lush feeling of the first track give's way to Angelo Meli's amiable "Pencil Pushin' Blues" which feature the guitarist and cello once more. Julin doesn't even solo until the third track, his own "Dance of the Praying Mantis." Here we are able to enjoy his understated yet adventurous improvising style in the context of a fascinating composition.
Don is one of the very few mandolinists attempting to deal seriously with the language of jazz as it has developed since 1960. His compositions speak this language without sounding angry or harsh and the Neptune Quartet plays this music, along with tunes by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Django Reinhardt and Lennon-McCartney, in a beautiful way. Glenn Wolff's rock solid bass playing lends gravity to the music while Julin's light touch often creates the sensation that the music is floating."
~ John Goodin - The Mandolin Journal
"...our region's answer to such avant garde, nationally-touring acts as the Kronos Quartet or the Turtle Island String Quartet. The Neptune Quartet is currently packing Poppycock's restaruant in downtown Traverse City on weekend nights, ripsawing the air with breadcutter string patterns that ring with a dense, crisp texture and power. It's string music on a knife's edge with a hammer swinging down swift and hard behind."
~ Robert Downes - The Northern Express
Discography
Lonesome Cactus Groove
Neptune Quartet
The Great Thaw
Live at Poppycock's
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Formed in 2001, the quartet is a collaboration of cellist Crispin Campbell, mandolinist Don Julin, guitarist Angelo Meli and bassist Glenn Wolff. The group plays original compositions as well as music by the likes of Django Reinhardt, Frank Zappa, and Hank Williams.
Cellist Crispin Campbell is on the faculty at Interlochen Arts Academy and the Madeline Island Music Camp and is founder and former artistic director of the Manitou Music Festival. A musician whose interests defy categories, he frequently appears as a soloist, chamber music and improvisational collaborator throughout North America. Campbell's repertoire ranges from the Bach Cello Suites to Delta blues, chamber music with violinist Vartan Manoogian, pianist David Schrader, and collaborations with jazz pianist Paul Sullivan and composer David Amran.
Mandolin player DonJulin has performed on over 20 CDs ranging in style from folk to gospel to jazz to avant-garde, while his original compositions have won awards at the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Touring Italy four times, Julin has given master classes at the conservatory in Padova at the invitation of fellow mandolinist Ugo Orlandi. He has also been a featured performer at the Classical Mandolin Society of America Conferences of 2001 and 2002. Highly regarded as a recording engineer, Julin has recorded and mixed CD projects for over twenty years in Traverse City, Michigan.
Guitarist Angelo Meli was born in Detroit and attended Michigan State University and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His experience ranges from the folk club circuit in Detroit to rock and roll in Boston to Latin bands and studio work in Florida. In Michigan, he has performed with back-up bands to the Drifters, the Coasters, the Platters and the Marvelletes. Angelo is also active as a songwriter and performs frequently with a variety of groups including the blues band the Corvairs.
Bassist Glenn Wolff grew up in Traverse City, Michigan. As a teenager, he played in folk bands with his friend John Wunsch. While studying art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, he played in garage bands with fellow student and singer/songwriter John Kruth. After moving to New York, Wolff played for 9 years at venues such as Figaro's, Folk City, the Speakeasy, CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, while pursuing a career as a free lance illustrator. He returned with his family to Northern Michigan in 1987 and continues to pursues a double career of visual artist and bass player.
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