Soundtrack Symphony

Tony Luna - bass guitar, keyboards
David Anthony Sotelo- drums, keyboards, samples, accordion
Che Orozco - guitar, samples

Oxnard-based instrumental ensemble consisting of an experimental blend of guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, and samples.

Soundtrack Symphony has played numerous venues in both Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. While incorporating a diverse selection of films as inspiration, they create music which includes influences from Boxhead Ensemble, One Mile North, Tarentel, Tear Ceremony, Carter Burwell, John Cage, and The Kronos Quartet.

Ellen Burr

Burr has performed at the 2003 Vancouver Jazz Festival, 2002 Las Vegas New Music Festival, soloed with orchestras throughout the U.S. and has been a return performer and presenter at the annual National Flute Association Convention. She has also been a featured performer for numerous L.A. festivals: Line Space Line, EarJam, “Women Should Be Seen and Not Heard,” West Hollywood Street Fair, Taste of L.A., CalArts’ Electro-Acoustic Music Marathon, the Lira series, the Eagle Rock series, the Pasadena Noon Concert Series, Concerts West and the Music of Changes New Music Series.
In addition, Burr has premiered many new works by contemporary classical composers as varied as James Tenney, Roberto Sierra, Alba Potes, Phillipe Bodin, Daniel Rothman and David Avshalomov. Ellen has never been satisfied with just being a masterful flutist. She has spent her performing career pushing music in new directions, as exhibited by her many ensemble collaborations with fellow improvisers: Adam Rudolph, Steuart Liebig, Brad Dutz, Jeanette Wrate, Vinny Golia, Travis Baker, Harris Eisenstadt and duos with bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck as well as Rare Birds, a live electronic flute and percussion duo with her husband Steve Burr. She has also played with Wolfgang Fuchs, Mark Dresser, James Newton and Yusef Lateef. Ms. Burr can be heard as a featured performer on many independently produced CDs, including one release of her own. Ellen has appeared on the public radio program “Morning Becomes Eclectic” which is broadcast on KCRW in Los Angeles.
In addition to free-lance performance and improvisation, Ellen was the subject of a feature article in Flute Talk magazine and has since contributed a series of articles comprising a column on the business of music. She has written and played for film, theater and dance, with over forty of her compositions having been performed in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to being a flute specialist for the S.M./Malibu school district, Ellen has presented master classes at the National Flute Association Convention, Internales Symposium de Darstellenden Kunste (Switzerland), Santa Monica Folk & Jazz Festival, CalArts and Wildacres Flute Retreat.
Ms. Burr holds a Bachelor of Music in flute performance from Wichita State University where she studied with visiting artist John Cage and Pulitzer prize nominee Walter Mays. She went on to receive a Master’s degree of Fine Arts in composition from California Institute of the Arts, having studied with Morton Subotnick and Pulitzer prize winner Mel Powell. She has studied flute with Jim Walker, Frances Shelly and Jim Hamilton as well as attending master classes with William Bennett and Michel Debost. In addition, she was awarded the opportunity to study with Jean Pierre Rampal in France and received the Certificat de Stage.

http://www.ellenburr.com/

The Transhumans

Bob Sterling:
acoustic and electronic drums, fx, sampler, synth
Patrick Rodriguez: synths, fx, sampler
Justin Cassidy: synth, fx, sampler

About the Transhumans:
Justin Cassidy and Patrick Rodriguez from "Send My Regards" join Bob Sterling from "Soundproof." The Transhumans are uniquely suited for those individuals plagued with fulgent imaginations, or who have significant issues with modern popular music. Adjust your ears. This music is one giant thought disorder.

http://www.myspace.com/thetranshumans

Michael Vlatkovich

William Roper

Michael Vlatkovich, trombonist, composer, and arranger, is one of the leading talents among Los Angeles improvisational players. Located on the West Coast since 1973, he is an emotionally charged performer, comfortable in a variety of comfortable jazz and world music styles. Vlatkovich has performed extensively in the United States, Canada, and Europe. His improvisionally free music expresses raw power and beauty in a minimally structured format.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Vlatkovich began studying music with the school band in the third grade. He distinguished himself in high school and was awarded a music scholarship to attend the St. Louis Institute of Music. Prior to his education at the Institute, Michael took part in an intensive six week workshop with internationally acclaimed saxophonist Oliver Nelson and guest soloists, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, and Phil Woods. Among his fellow students were Hamiett Bluett, Joe Bowie, Julius Hemphill, and Oliver Lake.
In addition to leading his own diverse imaginative ensembles, Vlatkovich has performed with a wide array of singers and instrumentalists including Peggy Lee, Brian Setzer, Bryan Adams, Bobby Bradford, Gerry Hemingway, Rob Blakeslee, Rich Halley, among many others. The trombonist has also performed on sound tracks for a variety of television and film projects including The Mask, Jingle All The Way, and the critically acclaimed John Cassavette's film the Tempest.
In 1981, the composer formed Thankyou Records in order to document the truly unique forward thinking musical concepts and ideas of both himself and his music collaborators. (These recordings have received critical acclaim in music publications and periodicals throughout the United States and Europe. Many of them have been selected for the lists of ten best jazz recordings.
Most recently the trombonist has been performing with his own ensembles, and co-leading Transvalue with poet Charles Britt. Vlatkovich is also a regular member with the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble and Rob Blakeslee Quartet.

http://www.liraproductions.com/Michael_Vlatkovich.html

William Roper’s professional experience ranges from the symphony stage to free improvisation groups. He has toured the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe with jazz and classical ensembles. His musicianship is represented on recordings with the rock bands: Thelonious Monster, The Fibonaccis and The Other Woman; poets: Jimmy Townes and Mark Weber; avant ensemble: Motor Totemist Guild; the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Parachute Express, and Chimurenga musician Thomas Mapfumo. He has played and/or recorded with jazzmen: The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, American Jazz Institute and Los Angeles Jazz Institute ensembles, the Orchestre Surreal, The Luckman Jazz Orchestra under James Newton, Bobby Bradford, Anthony Braxton, John Carter, Jimmy Cleveland, Douglas Ewart, Vinny Golia, Billy Higgins, Glenn Horiuchi, Clay Jenkins, Yusef Lateef, James Newton, Charles Owens, John Rapson, Kim Richmond, Adam Rudolph, Wadada Leo Smith, Horace Tapscott, Michael Vlatkovich and Francis Wong. He has received performance grants from Meet the Composer, Subito grants from the American Composers Forum, an ARC grant from the Durfee Foundation and a C.O.L.A. Fellowship from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept. He is cofounder and a performing member of Judicanti Responsura, a tuba and percussion ensemble specializing in contemporary classical and improvised music. He was resident at the Djerassi Institute as the Gerald Oshita Memorial Fellow in March 2000.
William Roper has done extensive work in the fields of theater, dance and performance art. In addition to his own work he has collaborated with such artists as Jackie Apple, Linda Austin, Bob Carroll, Heidi Duckler, John Fleck, Anna Homler, Scott Kellman, Dan Kwong, Jeff McMahon, Joseph Mitchell, Betty Nash, Gloria Newman, Rudy Perez , Will Salmon, Joseph Santarromana, Eve Stabolepszy and Bernie White. He has received a 1993 NEA New Genres grant to create a new work in collaboration with video artist Joseph Santarromana. In 1989 he cofounded Tomato Sage Consortium, a non-profit performance organization. This organization has received grants from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and the California Arts Council.
In the visual arts he has received fellowships from the Brody Arts Fund and ArtMatters, Inc. In 1990 he created a site- specific installation at New York's J.F.K. airport under the auspices of the Organization of Independent Artists. His billboard:A Flight of Angels, toured the Los Angeles area for four months in 1990.

http://home.pacbell.net/kyanite/

Ted Killian

For over four decades Ted Killian has explored his own personal approach to guitar playing and music-making. He has established a reputation for a unique and intensely-honed musical sensibility combined with a highly evolved and eccentric guitar technique in solo settings and in ensembles on stages all up and down the West Coast.
Ted’s playing spans the whole range between the tenderest subtlety and most brutal sonic assault. His pfMENTUM debut CD Flux Aeterna has achieved a surprising amount of worldwide airplay and critical acclaim.
Formerly from the Ventura/Santa Barbara area -- and not an infrequently seen musical figure hereabouts in times past -- Ted now lives in the kindlier real estate climes of Southern Oregon. However, he wants it to be clearly known that no matter where he lives, or how far away, Southern California will always be "home."

William Harrington

William C. Harrington was born January 10th, 1952 in Yonkers, New York. His grandmother played piano at silent movie theaters and had quite an influence on him: by the time he was a sophomore in high school, he was working as a professional musician playing parties, roller-skating rinks, and more.
While at Cal State Dominguez Hills (now UC Dominguez Hills) he studied composition, performance, and electronic music with Richard Bunger, who authored the classic book, “The Well Prepared Piano.”
After leaving college he worked in the wholesale record industry for two years before going on tour. First with Natalie Cole doing lighting, then with Gentle Giant, Frank Zappa (making a brief, credited appearance in Zappa’s movie, “Baby Snakes”), LTD, Rick Derringer, and Rick James, all in various technical positions.
In the 80’s he became the Supervisor of Operations, Videotape Operations, Paramount Pictures Corp. In that capacity, he received four ATAS Emmy certificates for contributions for “Cheers,” one for “The Arsenio Hall Show,” plus one for best sitcom, again, “Cheers.” In 1990 he became a freelance videotape engineer - doing videoasst, 24 frame playback - and Technical Director. Credits have included “Little Black Book” and “Alpha Dog” as well as several sitcoms.
Urban Electronic Music was constructed using loops recorded over a 30-year period, analog and digital synthesis, as well as traditional instruments and found objects.

DINNER BREAK

Sample local cuisine, but come back on time....the evening of the festival is packed with rock and jazz tinged
performances featuring new compositions with lots of improvisation.

The Choir Boys Acoustic Quintet

Andrew Pask and Jeff Kaiser
(photo by gregory taylor)

The Choir Boys (Kaiser and Pask) have been featured in concerts and festivals in London, England, Los Angeles, and yes, even Ventura. They also have shows coming up in Chicago and Minneapolis. They like the cold, I guess. Their unique and original take on electronics, horns and improv will be sacrificed at this show in the name of rocking drums, guitars, bass guitars and wild horn blowing. But hey, electronics will probably show up....

Andrew Pask is from New Zealand. He studied and played in his home town of Wellington before heading off to Hong Kong where he worked as a studio musician, performing on albums for Cantopop stars and playing jazz all over Asia. Since arriving in Los Angeles in 1999, he has become a part of the creative music scene there, playing with Vinny Golia's large band,also in Vinny's clarinets project, with Steuart Liebig in Lane End Merge Left and Stigtette, and with other people like Nels and Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier's bands, and with Jeff Kaiser.
Andrew's other interest is computers. He works for Cycling 74, a music software company based in San Francisco and has been a freelance technical consultant for the studios of Ice T, Michael Jackson, Moonshine Records and Ed Shearmur. He has also performed and composed for the stage and film for numerous projects from Asia to America. For the Choirboys project, Andrew has developed a generative sound processing rig for modifying the sound of his acoustic instruments.

Jeff Kaiser is a vegan and plays entirely too much chess on the internet. He is a big fan of yoga and green tea, as well as cigars and scotch. He also plays the quarter-tone trumpet with electronics and has performed with many groups and individuals including the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Eugene Chadbourne, The Choir Boys (with Andrew Pask) and his own big band, the Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet. He owns and operates two record labels (pfMENTUM and Angry Vegan Records) while maintaining an active musical career touring, performing and recording for films, other people and his own music.

http://www.trippyhorns.com/

BRAD DUTZ

Brad studied music privately throughout his youth. After high school he studied at the University of North Texas and Berklee college of music. In 1982 he moved to Los Angeles and began free-lancing untill 1984 when he joined Maynard Ferguson and toured around the country. Beside his nine solo c.d.s - KRIN, CAMELS, RAILROADS, GRILL, MAKING ICE, OBLITERATION quartet, MY BONGO, JOHN HOLMES- BRAD DUTZ duos and the first BRAD DUTZ c.d. he has co-produced twelve others and played as a sideman for 210 titles . In 1995 Warner Brothers and Interworld selected Brad to do eight video tapes for beginners entitled HAVE FUN PLAYING HAND DRUMS. He can be heard on TV shows KING OF THE HILL, FAMILY GUY, AMERICAN DAD, ENTERPRISE and FIREFLY.
Some of the movies that Brad has played on are
PRINCE OF EGYPT, SYRIANA, HILDAGO, RUGRATS GO WILD,
STAR TREK 5, OCEAN’S ELEVEN , ANCHORMAN, HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE , RUN DOWN and I SPY. IMAX films : MYSTERIES OF EGYPT, MT. KILAMANJARO , AMAZON, and ISLAND of SHARKS. In addition to playing mallets hand percussion is his specialty . He has studied many instruments ; congas, berimbau, bata, bodhran, bones, pandiero, djembe, tabla, kanjira, doumbec,riq and others.
While recording c.d.s for artists like ALANIS MORRISETTE, KISS, WILLIE NELSON, MICHAEL WOLFF, TRIBAL TECH, DAVID BENOIT,RICK BRAUN, VINNY GOLIA, LEE ANN RYHMES, MITCH FORMAN ,TERENCE TRENT DARBY, RICKIE LEE JONES, HANDS’ONSEMBLE and even JEFF BRIDGES Brad tries to bring the strangest percussion instruments he has to the session to create a unique sound . Every year he travels to colleges and stores to do clinics and concerts on hand percussion and mallets.His endorsements include VIC FIRTH, REMO,YAMAHA, PAISTE, and MOUNTAIN RYTHYM . Since becoming a member of the part-time faculty of Cal State Long Beach seven years ago Brad has finished two books, “Practicing music on hand percussion”and “Duos,Trios,and Quartets for percussion”. Last year his Obliteration quartet was the subject of a documentary film.

Tom McNalley

Recently relocated to Los Angeles, guitarist Tom McNalley has been recognized as a major force on the creative music scene, working as both a sideman and a leader. He has performed (and can be seen) with a wide variety of musicians, including Rob Blakeslee, Michael Vlatkovich, Rich Halley, Nels Cline, Bert Turetzky, Mark Dresser, Jeff Kaiser, Alex Cline, Bert Wilson, Adam Diller, Tad Weed, John Stowell, John Gross, Jason Mears and John Zorn, as well as with his own groups.
Upcoming releases include his new trio with bassist Joe McNalley (uncle, not dad) and Alex Cline, as well as a quartet project with John Gross, and a duet with Jeff Kaiser.

http://www.tommcnalley.com/

The Mentones

From Steuart Liebig: " Is my idea of what it would sound like if Little Walter played in Ornette Coleman's band - - and have a wee bit of country and some seriously out-of-control playing. The other guys in the band are Tony Atherton on alto saxophone, Bill Barrett on chromatic harmonica, Joseph Berardi on drumset and percussion. This is one of my compositional projects and I've written 39 tunes for it. The first 13 are on our first disc "Locustland." The second group of 13 tunes should coming out in the spring of 2006."

From Jeff: "These guys ROCK."

http://stigsite.com/

Wayne Peet Trio

Wayne Peet

Wayne Peet has become as ubiquitous, as he is mercurially absent...finding a bio about him is hard. Suffice it to say, those of you who know WHO HE IS, won't want to miss this VERY RARE performance of a legendary and influential player.

Nels Cline

Some facts about Nels Cline:
Born in Los Angeles in 1956.
Has a twin brother Alex (who plays drums).
Began playing guitar in 1967.
Plays guitar and writes music for a living.
Had no formal training.
In 1971 a guy named Bruce showed Nels how to play a major scale in chords, causing a major epiphany.
Early influences:
Roger McGuinn, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, John Fahey, Duane Allman...
Later influences:
John McLaughlin, Fred Frith, Jim Hall, Ralph Towner, John Abercrombie, Tom Verlaine, Thurston Moore, Otis Rush...
Studied harmony, orchestration & arranging, 20th Century harmony and commercial harmony & arranging at Santa Monica College with Rule Beaseley until going to work in retail record & book shops for most of his adult life.
Most valuable musical training came from his work with multi-instrumentalist/composer Eric von Essen, and from never turning down a gig.
First appearance on a record was in 1978 on Vinny Golia's Openhearted album (Nine Winds).
Other artists Nels has performed and/or recorded with include:
Julius Hemphill, Charlie Haden, Mike Watt, Tim Berne, Mark Dresser, Bobby Bradford, Thurston Moore, Lydia Lunch, Gregg Bendian, Mark Isham, Bonnie Barnett, Quartet Music, The Geraldine Fibbers, Brad Dutz, Mary Lou Lord, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Kaiser, Banyan, Bloc, Joel Harrison, Jeremy Toback, Devin Sarno, fIREHOSE, G.E. Stinson, Osamu Kitajima, Mark Weber, Two Dollar Guitar, Carla Bozulich, Wayne Peet, Walter Thompson, Elliott Sharp, James Carney, and the West Coast Modern Day Punk Rock Orchestra.
Nels has scored two low-grade films:
Welcome, Said The Angel
Hard Drive
His own projects have included:
• The Nels Cline Singers (Current)
• Nels Cline Trio (1990-1997)
• an early quintet
• a 6-piece called Destroy All Nels Cline
• a quartet with Mark Dresser, Billy Mintz & Zeena Parkins
• an improvising acoustic guitar trio with Rod Poole & Jim McAuley
• Blue Mitt Ensemble
Many duo collaborations, including with:
Carla Bozulich (Scarnella, Carla Bozulich & Friends), Devin Sarno, Gregg Bendian, Woody Aplanalp, G.E. Stinson, Elliott Sharp, Thurston Moore, Christopher Garcia, and painter Norton Wisdom.
Awards include:
• California Music Award for "Outstanding Jazz Artist"
• LA Weekly Music Awards for "Best New Genre/Uncategorizable Artist."
Artists currently working with most often:
Wilco, The Nels Cline Singers, Scarnella, Vinny Golia, Scott Amendola Band, Devin Sarno, Banyan, Gregg Bendian's Interzone.

http://www.nelscline.com/

Russell Bizzett

Born in Sioux City Iowa, Russell grew up in a family of
musicians and started playing drums on his father's knee
at age 5. Both grandfathers were professional musicians.
His mother's father was a "boogie-woogie" piano player
and his father's father was a jazz trumpet player and big
band orchestra leader. His father was a jazz drummer who
played with the "Ink Spots". His two brothers were a
trumpet player and a sax player, and both played drums as
well. His love for drums drove him to pursue this calling. At
12 he started playing gigs at his grandfather's nightclub
and by the time he was 19 he was touring with Chuck
Berry. The following year he toured with Muddy Waters.
He moved to New York City and studied with Roy Haynes
as well as attended jazz workshops in Harlem. From 1974
to 1976 he toured and recorded with rock legend, Tommy
Bolin. In 1977 he studied East Indian rythms with Colin
Walcott at Naropa Institute, Boulder Colorado. From
1979-1981 he toured with jazz legend, Freddy Hubbard
and took part in the 1981 Bo Diddly tour. 1982-1990 he
toured with Jose Feliciano. He recorded for the Laverne &
Shirley Show, under Bennett Salvey, the Merv Griffin Show
under Mort Lindsey, musical director between 1983 and
1985 during down time from touring. Later he also
recorded for the Northern Exposure TV series. The
Independent film, "Stanley's Gig" also featured his talents
on the sound track. He toured with French pop icon,
Michel Jonasz from 1997 to 1998. Studied with
International jazz drummer, Billy Higgins in 1998. Between
tours he spent his time recording and performing in the LA
area.
He has worked and recorded with a large variety of artists
including Jimmy Smith, Billy Preston, Robben Ford, Jeff
Berlin, Raul De Sousa, Jose Jose, Carol Kaye, Jane Getz,
Eric Reed, Eric Marienthal, Wilton Felder, Rob Mullins,
Ravi Coltrane, Dale Fielder Quartet, Michael Ruff, Mike
Miller, the Fowler Brothers Air Pocket Band(former
members of the Frank Zappa Band), Michel Danton, Steve
Barta, Barry Wedgle, Kim Stone, Tom Scott , Rick
Zunigar, George Bohanon, John Heard, Frank Zottoli,
Ronald Muldrow, Dwight Trible, Kenny Garrett and many
more.

In addition he also performed with world
renowned Pops Symphony Orchestras:
Chicago Pops, Atlanta Pops, Boston Pops,
Vienna Pops, Berlin Pops and East Berlin
Pops.
Currently Russell Bizzett resides in North San
Diego County. He spends his time recording,
freelancing, teaching and working with a
Colorado based Record company, Exit
Records.

http://www.russellbizzett.com/