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Upcoming Gigs
The Respect Sextet
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"This is a band that's given me some of the best listening experiences I've had over the last couple of years."
"They have great chops and a great sense of humour, and they seem to play just about everything." "The Respect Sextet brings the swagger of a retro-swing band to music that ranges from free-bop to freak-out jazz . . . a band on the rise.” -One Final Note
"...[H]earing this up-and-coming sextet perform live was a truly remarkable experience."
"Nothing is good, I see, without Respect. Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day!"
Formed in 2001, the Respect Sextet is a powerhouse ensemble dedicated to performing a variety of
improvisational musics, The group comprises Josh Rutner (reeds, radio), Eli Asher (trumpet), James Hirschfeld (trombone), Malcolm Kirby (bass), Ted Poor (drums) and Red Wierenga (piano, accordion). After releasing two limited-edition (now-sold-out) CD-Rs, (respect.) and (respectacle.), and a mini-CD-R, (respookt.), Respect made its official studio debut with The Full Respect, released to rave reviews in August, 2003. Cadence Magazine called it "an impressive debut" and about it NewMusicBox.org said: “Throwing this disc into your CD player feels like walking into a really great party, a room full of beautiful, laughing people. And like a good party, by the end of the record, you are left pleasantly dizzy and exhausted.” The Full Respect was also named #3 Jazz CD of the Year by WGMC, and music from the CD was featured in the short film Who's Your Daddy?, an official selection at Sundance 2004. Coming on the heels of this success, in January, 2005, Respect released Respect In You, a free-wheeling live recording featuring guest bassist Matt Clohesy. Nate Dorward wrote in Cadence Magazine, “Respect In You is one of this year’s outstanding new discs, providing more food for thought and pure enjoyment than just about anything I’ve heard lately.” The Respect Sextet, through its eclecticism, its devotion to improvisation, its predilection towards swing, and its use of toys and little instruments, has drawn comparisons both to New Dutch Swing and to the AACM. Indeed, many dialectics are at work (or play) in Respect's music, in which the serious, heady, and intellectual mingles with the light, comic, and absurd, where compositions alternate with improvisations, and where tight ensemble work coexists with loose, empathic interplay. Visit the Respect website, listen to more mp3s, and buy CDs at www.respectsextet.com
"The band started to play and our jaws dropped. These guys were incredible. Unbelievable...Their interplay was phenomenal...
These musicians are absolutely wonderful and deserve to be recognized on a national - nay, international level. "an excellent quartet" - City Newspaper
"We were blown away by your original, imaginative and fascinating takes on Gigi's music. You guys obviously got into it and gave it a lot of thought. We are extrememly grateful for your contributions which really made the evening a success beyond our most optimistic expectations."
The first Red Wierenga Trio was formed in 1995 as a vehicle with which to explore the tradition of standards and jazz compositionals.
Red Wierenga and Josh Rutner
"On the radio they turn into Abbott and Costello meet Stockhausen. They're genuinely funny the way only real people can be, and they are extremely knowledgeable about the music." Click here to read the full article. "Amazing!"
Dave Rivello is a composer/arranger/conductor who leads a 12-piece band performing his original compositions. Red performed weekly with the Dave Rivello Ensemble from 2001-2004. Read a review of the band in One Final Note. A new CD is forthcoming.
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including (but not limited to) free improvisations, original compositions,
free jazz classics, Bulgarian tunes, text pieces, jazz standards, and game pieces. Seemingly disparate
strands are held together by Respect's explosive energy, outstanding musicianship, and rare telepathy,
honed by two years of weekly performances at a Rochester coffeehouse. The feeling that at any moment
anything can happen and an overarching joie de vivre pervade Respect performances.
The Unit is a Rochester-native subset of Respect and includes Josh Rutner (saxophone), Malcolm Kirby (bass), Ted Poor (drums) and Red (piano). The Unit performed at WGMC's Meet-the-Artist concert in April, 2002. In addition, the group performed music of Gigi Gryce in August, 2002, as part of a booksigning by Noal Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald of their book, Rat-Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce. After the booksigning, Noal Cohen wrote:
Red and Josh have periodically and rather successfully performed together as a duo. Also, together they co-host a weekly radio show on WGMC on Fridays from 1 until 4 p.m.. About their show City Newspaper wrote: