Bio of The Rempis Percussion Quartet

Posted on December 12, 2012 by admin

Dave Rempis – alto/tenor/baritone saxophone
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – bass
Frank Rosaly – drums
Tim Daisy – drums

The Rempis Percussion Quartet is a free-improvising whirlwind that draws inspiration from a shared interest in West African and Latin American rhythms, coupled with American funk and free jazz. Using these influences, the band creates spontaneous music which nevertheless maintains a focus on ensemble motion and compositional structures. The performances maintain an unabashedly raucous energy based on relentless grooves and unrestrained blowing, tempered with occasional moments of quiet balladry.

Led by saxophonist Dave Rempis (The Engines, Vandermark Five) the band originally formed for a house party in April 2004. Since then the band has released four records, including the limited edition “Circular Logic” (Utech Records 2005) “Rip Tear Crunch” (482 Music 2006) “Hunter-Gatherers” (482 Music – 2007) and “The Disappointment of Parsley (Not Two – 2009). Anton Hatwich, the band’s original bass player, was replaced by Norwegian phenomenon Ingebrigt Håker Flaten in the spring of 2009. A new recording with Ingebrigt was made in January of 2010, and is scheduled for release on 482 Music in the winter of 2010/11. The band has toured regularly in the US and Europe, with performances at several major festivals including the Empty Bottle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music (Chicago – 2005), The Umbrella Music Festival (Chicago – 2007), The Moers Festival (Moers, Germany – 2009), and the Ring Ring Festival (Belgrade, Serbia – 2010).

Musicians bio’s:

Over the last decade, Dave Rempis has emerged as one of the most active young players in the Chicago jazz and improvised music scene. Rempis graduated from Northwestern University in 1997 with a degree in anthropology, focusing in ethnomusicology, and spending a year at the University of Ghana, Legon. Since 1998, his work with the Vandermark Five as the “other” saxophonist has established him as one of the up-and-coming voices of his generation, and has also provided him the opportunity to perform extensively in clubs, concert halls, and festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His own groups, including the Rempis Percussion Quartet, Triage, The Engines, The Rempis/Daisy Duo, and The Dave Rempis Quartet, have toured regularly throughout the US and Canada, and have been documented on the Okkadisk, 482 Music, Solitaire, Not Two, and Utech record labels. In addition to these groups, Rempis plays regularly with Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band, The Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten Quintet, The Outskirts, and the Rempis/Bishop/Kessler/Zerang Quartet. His frequent ad hoc collaborations have included performances with Roscoe Mitchell, Paul Lytton, Axel Dörner, Peter Brötzmann, Hamid Drake, Kevin Drumm, Paul Nilsson-Love, Tony Buck, David Stackenas, and Joe Morris. As a founding member of the Chicago presenters’ collective Umbrella Music, Rempis curates a weekly concert series at Elastic, as well as the annual Umbrella Music Festival, since 2006. Rempis has been named as a “Talent Deserving Wider Recognition” in both the alto and baritone saxophone categories in the annual Downbeat Magazine International Critics’ Poll.

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten has established himself as one of the strongest voices on bass in improvised music. His work with his own quintet, as well as with The Thing, Atomic, Free Fall, The Scorch Trio, and in duo formats with Evan Parker and Håkon Kornstad have put him at the center of a large pool of improvisers with strikingly different modes of operation. Originally from Oslo, Flaten has had a long connection to Chicago musicians starting with the School Days Quintet in the late 90’s. Between 2006 and 2008, Flaten made Chicago his home, and furthered his relationships with Chicago musicians, including the members of this band.

Tim Daisy was born on July 15th, 1976, in Waukegan, Illinois, and began playing the drums at age 11. Soon he was involved in a rock band with his brother, playing shows around the northern Illinois and the Southeastern Wisconsin area. At age 17 a friend gave him a copy of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” which had a profound impact on him and began his fascination with improvised music. Tim began formal lessons with percussionist Joe Varhula at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, from 1995-1996, and moved to Chicago in 1997, quickly becoming involved with the city’s vibrant improvised music scene. In 1998, he formed Triage with Dave Rempis and bassist Gordon Lewis (who was replaced by Jason Ajemian in 2000). Also at this time, he became involved in the “58 Group,” a modern dance ensemble led by choreographer Ginger Farley, with musical direction by saxophonist and composer Cameron Pffifner. In 2000 Tim joined forces with young alto saxophonist Aram Shelton and bassist Jason Ajemian to form Dragons 1976, and continues to record and tour with this group to this day. Tim joined the Vandermark Five in 2001 and has been an integral member of the band since that time. During this period he also ran the Thursday night improvised music series at The Nervous Center in Chicago. Other active projects include Bridge 61, the Dave Rempis Quartet, Kyle Bruckman’s Wrack, and his own Festival Quartet; past collaborations have included work with the Chicago Improvisers Group, Sound In Action Trio, Unclocked, Arrive, Scott Rosenberg’s Red, and Fred Lonberg-Holm’s Lightbox Orchestra. In November, 2003, Tim was selected as one of “Thirteen Drummers For The Future” by Downbeat Magazine.

Frank Rosaly is an Arizona-native who currently resides in Chicago, where he has been involved in the improvised music scene since 2001. He is an active member of many groups including The Chicago-Luzern Exchange, Rob Mazurek’s Mandarin Movie, The Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio, Ken Vandermark’s Crisis Ensemble, The Thread Quintet, Indoor/Outdoor, The Rempis Percussion Quartet and his own octet, Kite. He is also involved in projects such as Rolldown, Wealthsource, Fast Citizens, James Falzone’s Allos IV, Desiring Machines, Meta-Stable Zoo, the Nick Broste Quintet, Matt Ulery Quintet, Soft Beater (frank’s solo drumming project) and others. He has also performed in countless other configurations with Chicago improvisers including Jim Baker, Matt Lux, Kent Kessler, Tim Daisy, Guillermo Gregorio, Jeff Parker, David Boykin, Niki Mitchell, Keefe Jackson, Aram Shelton, Josh Berman, Bill Brimfield, Josh Abrams, Anton Hatwich, Jason Ajemian, Nate McBride as well as New York musicians Steve Swell, Anthony Coleman, Alan Licht, Dominic Lalli and Matana Roberts.