Club d'Elf
Club d'Elf
Moroccan-dosed dub-jazz collective Club d'Elf celebrate the release ofLive at Club Helsinki, an epic double CD that expands the band's mix of jazz, electronica, hip-hop, psychedelia, dub, and Moroccan trance. The music visits touchstones as disparate as John Cage, Studio One, Moroccan Gnawa, and drum 'n' bass. Joining the band for this show is slide guitar wizard (and Berklee professor) David Tronzo, who has performed with Daniel Lanois, Paul Simon, John Hiatt, John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, David Sanborn, and Spanish Fly.
Circling about bassist/composer (and Berklee alumnus) Mike Rivard and drummer Dean Johnston, (also a Berklee alumnus), each Club d'Elf performance features a different lineup, drawn from a constellation of some of the most creative improvisors from the jazz, DJ, rock, and world music scenes of Boston and New York City, creating a unique experience for the audience and musicians alike. On Live at Club Helsinki, the band's Moroccan trance influences come through strongly, with Fribgane's mesmerizing oud stylings and Rivard's command of the Moroccan sintir, a three-string bass lute used by the Gnawa, a mystical brotherhood of trance-healers. Derived from ancient sources, trance forms the central core of the Club d'Elf aesthetic, unifying the various genres the band has absorbed. The band will also feature Randy Roos, Berklee Guitar faculty, and Paul Schultheis, associate director, Piano Technology at Berklee.