Jun 29, 2012

TD Stage - Place de Festivals

Montreal, QC H2Y 1H9 Canada

This event is in the past, but were you there? leave a comment or photo on Facebook, or tag @orchestrotica on Twitter, or Instagram.

The 22pc Esquivel big band on the big stage at Montreal Jazz Festival! 2 free shows, 9pm and 11pm outside on the TD main stage. At the show? Talk to us on Facebook or Twitter: @orchestrotica. Get on the mailing list for 6 free MP3s and news!

BRASS:
Bryan Davis - tpt
Paul Perfetti - tpt
Mark Sanchez - tpt
Dan Linden - tbn
Ken Pope - horn
Chris Beaudry -bs. tbn.

WOODWINDS:
Geni Skendo - bs. flu. / alt.
Jared Sims - tnr./flu.
Russ Gershon - tnr./flu.
Alec Spiegelman - bari./bs. clnt.

VOX:
Yolanda Scott - soprano
Jen O'Neill - mezzo soprano
Kristina Vaskys - alto
Paul Pampinella - tenor

RHYTHM/WEIRDNESS:
Brian "Mr. Ho" O'Neill - perc., pno.
Noriko Terada - perc.
Jeremy Lang - perc.
Tev Stevig - gtr.
Tim Obetz - slide gtr.
Jason Davis - bass
Mike Connors - drms
Rusty Scott - Hammond B3, accord.

ENGINEER/ROAD MANAGER:
Matt Jugenheimer

ABOUT THE ORCHESTROTICA'S ESQUIVEL BIG BAND:

"...deliciously demented and entertaining in equal parts." –Wall Street Journal

Led by percussionist, vibraphonist and composer Mr. Ho (Brian O'Neill), Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica is the only 22-piece big band in the world that presents the lost, supersonic, space-age bachelor-pad sounds of Juan Garcia Esquivel live in concert. Esquivel was a studio orchestra arranger in the '50s and '60s who was known for his use of blistering brass, boisterous Latin percussion, wordless vocals and mid-century Hollywood sound. Best known as one of the original exploiters of the stereo (two-channel) sound format, Esquivel was a masterful arranger who's big band manuscripts were lost after his return to Mexico in the 1970s. As a result, no ensembles since Esquivel's own touring days performed his wild big band arrangements until Mr. Ho came along in 2004 and began to transcribe his music back into paper from the original records, reviving his music for fans and introducing it to new generations of listeners.

In 2010, Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica released its debut tribute-to-Esquivel CD, The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel, which kicked off its new Exotica for Modern Living series that Tiki Magazine called "absolute must-haves..." The album received four stars from the Sunday Times London, became a Top CD for 2010 by AllAboutJazz, and is currently playing in Starbucks stores worldwide.

In May 2011, the series continued with the Orchestrotica's third-stream exotica quartet debut, Third River Rangoon, which the Boston Herald called "...serious jazz and chamber-music writing..." and Lucid Culture called "genius."

"…incredible arrangements, musicianship and artistic direction…I’m sure the only thing better than hearing the record would be seeing this group live."–Downbeat