Tag Archives: Rempis/Ochs/Johnston Trio

Get to Know the Bands of SF Offside – Rempis/Ochs/Johnston Trio

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The Rempis/Ochs/Johnston Trio will be making a special appearance at the May 24th SF Offside concert at El Valenciano. The trio features Bay Area trumpet maestro Darren Johnston, saxophonist Larry Ochs, best known for his work with the groundbreaking ROVA saxophone quartet, and saxophonist Dave Rempis from Chicago, who has the unique distinction of being the only non-local of the festival! Learn more about this horn trio that embraces sincere musical freedom and tonal exploration.

SFOFest - Tell us about your first gig.

DJ - Our first and only previous time playing as a trio before this week was at the Active Music Series in Oakland, run by Aram Shelton. Rempis was in town visiting family so we took advantage of his visit by opening up for the Oakland Active Orchestra. We all do a lot of one-off improvised music shows, but this one was really special. Everyone listened so well, and improvised with such generosity and sense of form, that we all started wishing we could do it more. Ochs was trying to convince us that we needed to go break into a studio and record all night that same night! So now Dave’s back in town and we’re psyched to be playing this new festival alongside some of our favorite cats. This time we’re getting ready to record the next day too.

SFOFest - If you could open for any band, past or present, who would it be?

DJ - I’m not sure we’d be able to agree on a band to open for. Some might say Anthony Braxton. That of course would be fantastic! I think I’ll say the Tuneyards though.

SFOFest - If you’re on the road, who’s the driver, who’s the chef, who’s late leaving in the morning, who loses their cell phone etc?

DJ -  Hmm. I’d be late leaving in the morning, I’d lose my cell phone, and I’d probably drive, so as to not get left behind when I’m late in the morning. Maybe one of those guys can cook.

SFOFest – What’s one thing you’re looking forward to about SF Offside?

DJ - I’m looking forward to hearing my peers and celebrating the musical diversity of our local scene.

SFOFest – Describe your music in 15 words or less.

DJ - Our horn trio performs highly interactive, all improvised music that mixes jazz with modern classical music (“new music”) and more. At times melodic, rhythmic, and at times purely textural.

San Francisco Offside 2012

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Jazz is alive and well and living in San Francisco! So say the creators of San Francisco Offside, and the many talented local musicians taking part in this year’s inaugural festival.

Born of a passion to celebrate the unique creativity and diversity of the local jazz scene, SF Offside has gathered together some of the Bay Area’s most exciting musical talent for an event unlike any other. The three-night festival showcases notable local musicians and composers, like Marcus Shelby, David Boyce, Darren Johnston, Lisa Mezzacappa, Larry Ochs, Erik Jekabson, Aram Shelton, Eric Garland, and many more.

Night One: “Excursions” – Thursday May 24 @ El Valenciano, 1153 Valencia Street

The festival kicks off with three different ensembles with one thing in common—mastery of traditional techniques coupled with fearless commitment to exploring innovative territories. Bassist Lisa Mezzacappa opens the evening with her improvisational “garage jazz” quartet, Bait & Switch. Following is an experimental trio featuring saxophonists Dave Rempis from Chicago (the festival’s only non-local musician!) and Larry Ochs of ROVA with the ubiquitous Darren Johnston on trumpet. These Are Our Hours, a brand new quintet featuring core members of the Oakland Active Orchestra, close the evening with explorations grounded in jazz and free improvisation.

Night Two: “Onward” – Friday May 25 @ 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason Street

The second night of the festival takes a decidedly contemporary look at straight-ahead jazz and presents three Bay Area composers and their respective trios—bassist Marcus Shelby, trumpeter Erik Jekabson, and guitarist Alex Pinto. Celebrated as a leading light of the Bay Area’s jazz scene, Shelby will perform with a fresh trio that features the talented young pianist Joe Warner and the versatile Tiffany Martin on vocals. Jekabson, respected both as a bandleader and as a sideman, brings his post-bop improvisational sensibilities to the mix, while Pinto, a young guitarist trained in Hindustani classical music (who also happens to be the festival’s co-director), has a distinctive modern sound all of his own.

Night Three: “Junction” – Saturday May 26 @ Special Location TBA

The festival closes with an evening of genre-expanding music that intersects jazz in distinctive ways. Secret Sidewalk, an innovate quintet bridging electronic/sampled music and jazz, spotlights Marcus Stephens on sax and electronics. Blending rock and jazz strategies, the recently formed Klaxon Mutant Jazz All Stars is an illustrious quintet featuring music by all five members—Eric Garland, Henry Hung, Kasey Knudsen, George Ban-Weiss, and Colin Hogan. Bay Area staple and masters of improvisation, The Supplicants, with guest drummer Hamir Atwal, end the evening with a musical journey that takes many unexpected directions. (The venue for the closing night of the festival will be announced May 21st.)

SF Offside Festival

A co-production of local jazz guitarist Alex Pinto and local music curator Laura Maguire, SF Offside was created to fill a perceived gap in the regional jazz festival circuit. With an exclusive focus on homegrown talent, the mission of SF Offside is to draw attention to the incredible creativity to be found right here in our own backyard, and to build larger audiences for specifically local jazz offerings. The hope is that San Francisco ultimately gets the recognition it deserves as home to a rich, diverse, and exceptionally talented jazz community.

RSVP