Quintopus
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Quintopus

Rochester, New York, United States | INDIE

Rochester, New York, United States | INDIE
Band Jazz Avant-garde

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

Music

Press


"Voyage to Ornoc - Jazz@Rochester Review"

When I put the new CD Voyage to Ornoc by Quintopus into my car CD player, it was quite some time before that CD came up and I remember thinking "who are these guys?" Quintopus' new disc incorporates so many influences into a brew that is steeped in tradition but also has a shot of rock-n-roll sensibility. Each cut has a different feel. Main thing it made me do is think about how to get out and see Quintopus live. - Greg Bell - Jazz@Rochester Blog


"Voyage to Ornoc Released on ears&eyes Records"

ears&eyes Records is excited to join forces with Rochester NY-based group, Quintopus on their debut record,Voyage to Ornoc!!! - ears&eyes Records


Discography

Voyage to Ornoc - Released September 23rd, 2010 on ears&eyes Records

- currently being played on:

90.1 Jazz FM in Rochester, NY
WNUR 89.3FM Chicago, IL

Photos

Bio

Improvisatory but not esoteric, virtuosic yet unpretentious, Quintopus mixes up its own electro-pop futurism out of a little jazz, a little rock, a splash of alternative indie pop, and a good old-fashioned sense of adventure. Drawing on its members' diverse backgrounds in a full spectrum of jazz, rock, and classical music, the band applies its eclectic, open-ended approach to a mixed repertoire of original compositions and personalized arrangements of songs by artists like Bjork, Radiohead, and Ben Folds. While uncompromising in its pursuit of new musical territory, Quintopus remains equally dedicated to the belief that improvised instrumental music can be engaging and fun, providing grooved-based, hard-rocking performances that grab audiences, jazz fans or not.

The brain-cephalopod of drummer, composer, and bandleader Chris Teal, Quintopus began as a collaboration by like-minded improvisers who met at Rochester, New York's Eastman School of Music. Originally from Spokane, WA, Teal is now a freelance musician and teacher in the Rochester area and a member of the Po’ Boys Brass Band, the Dave Rivello Ensemble, and Cash Back. At the keyboard is Chris Ziemba, a native of Buffalo whose virtuosic and sensitive playing has impressed audiences around the Northeast in his work with Trio Slaye, Walt Weiskopf, and the Dave Rivello Ensemble as well as appearing on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz.” Rounding out the rhythm section is bassist Geoff Saunders, a member of the popular Rochester-based Windsor Folk Family and an award-winning busker of international acclaim. In addition to freelancing in Chicago, saxophonist Doug Stone played with Maynard Ferguson and the Big Band Nouveau and has been a regular faculty member at the Birch Creek Music Center. Garrett Schmidt, originally from Alhambra, Illinois, plays lead trumpet in the Dave Rivello Ensemble and the Bitchen Kitchen as well as freelancing in Rochester and New York City. Quintopus is committed to supporting social justice through benefit concerts for such organizations as the National Association of Free Clinics, Doctors Without Borders and Nashville Musicians Disaster Relief.

The debut Quintopus album, Voyage to Ornoc (ears&eyes Records), provides a taste of this ensemble's unique aesthetic, one that refuses to be pigeonholed as straight-ahead jazz or typical fusion. Instead, one hears a well-balanced mixture of electric and acoustic, introspection and explosion, and composition and improvisation. Aligned with the newest trends in creative instrumental music, Quintopus is carving out a space for a new generation of jazz players and listeners.