Andrew Dixon - Saxophonist
Andrew Dixon spends all of his time either in the studio, writing and rehearsing new songs, teaching to his vast array of students or on the road performing across the US. He plays at least nine different instruments, including every saxophone, clarinets, and flutes.
Andrew has released three CDs of original music, infused with his jazz roots, but ranging far beyond. Influenced from growing up in Chicago, to his travels around the world, he has created a sound that is fresh, unique and sets him apart from the typical jazz fare. His latest album, Renegade, has an Avant Garde Jazz feel, infused with the flavors of John Coltrane and King Crimson. Andrew wrote and composed all the songs, which feature a fresh new sound and inspires through its expansive blend of saxophone solos, keyboard riffs, plus drum and bass. This, plus his other releases "East Oakland Run Down," and last year’s "RAGE" can be found on his label, Epistemology Records.
Currently in the studio working on new original music, as well as an Ornette Coleman/Masada project, Andrew has been accepted as one of only three students in the world by Jazz Master Dave Liebman, who himself worked with the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Elvin Jones. His current band, the Andrew Dixon Quartet, is composed of the same musicians who have played in each other’s groups for over 7 years. Andrew’s friends call him Rage... so he gave his first album (and his website) the same name.
It's Rock and real and filled with unique music.
Andrew Dixon’s Sites and Sounds can be found at:
https://www.ragedixon.com
https://www.facebook.com/andrewdixonjazz
https://www.instagram.com/iamandrewdixon
https://andrewdixonrage.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uwtpE7Cw8WXXhVlryO1x4
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/andrew-dixon/203514489
https://vimeo.com/262602891
https://vimeo.com/261429881
Henry Kaiser - Guitarist
Henry Kaiser is an American guitarist and composer, known as an idiosyncratic soloist, a sideman, an ethnomusicologist, and a film score composer. Recording and performing prolifically in many styles of music, Kaiser is a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. He is considered a member of the "second generation" of American free improvisers. Kaiser has appeared on more than 300 albums and scored dozens of TV shows and films, including Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on the Beautiful Dreamer tribute to Stephen Foster.
Kaiser "has amassed an immense collection of guitars, amplifiers, and effect pedals" to achieve "sonic diversity". A favorite of his is a Klein electric with Alembic pickups (his favorites), which he uses when traveling. He owns a Dumble. He has been looping since at least 1984 (It's a Wonderful Life), initially with an MXR digital delay, and later with Lexicon equipment—he sets modulation rates to "either heart or breathing rate, because those are natural healing rhythm rates". He often uses two delays to provide three different voices. He is also an avid user of a large number of effects pedals including the Hall & Collins Echo unit and a range of fuzzes.
https://www.henrykaiserguitar.com
Brother John Kattke - Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals
Brother John has been a resident musician at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago for 30 years. He has played with Eric Clapton, Steve Miller, the Black Crowes, and acquired ringing endorsements from many other musicians of renown. For example: Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant had seen John play with Otis Rush at the Jazz Café in London. When Plant and Kattke met in person at the United Center in Chicago, Plant told Kattke: “You play a mean guitar!” George Benson came to the jam session that Kattke hosts at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. After hearing the opening set that John played with his band, Benson told him: “You’re fearless! I thought I was fearless! You’re fearless!”
https://www.johnkattke.com
Steve Arvey - Guitarist & Cigar Box/Vocals
Steve Arvey was born in Chicago in 1957, and has recorded and played with many of the top blues legends. He has been mentioned in books by Buddy Guy and Howling Wolf. Steve started working as a sideman on the Chicago Blues scene in the late 70's playing bass guitar, guitar, and drums behind such Blues Legends as Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Big Smokey Smothers, Homesick James, Andrew Brown, Lefty Dizz, Big Moose Walker, BB Big Voice Odum, Detroit Jr., Lovie Lee, Carey Bell, Big Jack Johnson, Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Lester Davenport. Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay, Eddie Clearwater, Sugar Blue, Abb Locke, Hip Linkchain, Sammy Lawhorn, Jr. Wells, Sammy Fender among others.
In 2012 Steve created The Delta Swamp Rats and created the Mississippi Delta Funk Sound using a wide array of Cigar Box Guitars that was influenced by John Lee Hooker, Son House, Tommy Johnson. He has been playing CBG's for years and has toured the world bringing his unique style of country blues to the masses. In the past few years, cigar box guitars have become very popular in the music world, and he has been one of the leaders in this movement. Check out Steve Arvey’s Cigar Box Guitar channel on XOTV!
https://www.stevearveymusic.com
Chris Bernhardt - Bassist
As a versatile player with eclectic tastes, bassist Chris Bernhardt has never been content to stay in one musical style. Before his main jazz project, BMR4, he was hired extensively in the blues, rock, and hip-hop fields. As a founder of the roots rock band, The Buzz, he toured the country in support of the groups releases , received airplay on over 200 radio stations , garnered favorable reviews, toured under established booking agencies, and sold over 30,000 records. A personal highlight for Bernhardt was performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2015.
Chris Bernhardt’s Sites and Sounds can be found at:
www.bmr4.com
https://www.facebook.com/BMR4jazz
https://twitter.com/bmr4
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZBj5rW1Mg0O4upqZbkJ7w