Christian Asplund is a Canadian-American composer-performer (on viola, harmonium and piano) based in Utah where he is Composer-in-Residence at Brigham Young University. He cofounded Seattle Experimental Opera which has produced seven of his operas. He has performed with such musicians as Christian Wolff, Eyvind Kang, Larry Polansky, Daniel Good, Francois Houle, Michael Bisio, Robert Reigle, Tom Baker, Greg Campbell, Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Gino Robair, and Phil Gelb in a variety of venues and recordings in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His scores are published by Frog Peak Music. He appears on CDs on Tzadik, Present Sounds, Sparkling Beatnik, Maritime Fist Gleeclub, and Comprovise Records.
Of his music, Stuart Dempster has said, “Asplund, in his well-crafted compositions, delightfully teases us on those slippery slopes between composition and improvisation,” while a jazz reviewer has said Asplund’s music “walks a squiggly line that passes through jazz…, free improv, rock, funk and a whole spectrum of ‘modern classical’ styles, including minimalism, serialism and a handful of other ‘isms’...” Other words used by reviewers to describe his music include: passion, panoramic power, pure pointillist, plaintive, painstaking, rhythmically toothy, rocking, remarkable, rollicking, searing, subdued, soothing, submersive, splendid, unique, enjoyable, ethereal, mesmerizing, mind-blowing, otherworldly, absorbing, intelligent, idiosyncratic, distinctive, captivating, bewitching.
Greg Campbell, who plays drums and percussion as well as French horn and vibes, is known for his work as a jazz musician and improvisor. As well as having an extensive education in the field of percussion and having studied with the likes of Dave Holland, Cecil McBee, and Tom Collier, he has a performance resume that includes work with Wayne Horvitz, Stuart Dempster, Michael Bisio, and Wally Shoup to name just a few.
Mark France is a guitar virtuoso and visual artist based in Oregon. He can be heard on CDs such as:
Aiko Shimada, Another Full Moon, Bera Records, 2000
Thousand Pieces, Matador's Mistake, Small Block, 1997
Shovedevil, The 7th Sign of Stress compilation, Gettin' Grumpy 1992
Aiko Shimada, Bright and Dark, Bera Records, 1996
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