Album Notes

“Chicago pianist/keyboardist David Flippo is hardly the first to combine jazz and world music, but his group Flippomusic Globaljazz is unorthodox in that it actually specializes in fusing jazz (both mainstream and avant-garde) with Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and Latin sounds. The resulting album is as unpredictable as it is enriching”—Alex Henderson, CD Review Magazine

This is the first release by the Chicago-based globaljazz quintet FLIPPOMUSIC. Pianist/composer Dave Flippo’s diverse background took him through the academic world of “concert compositions” and the study of world music as he achieved his Doctorate and Masters at the University of Michigan and Eastman (respectively) but then went on to base his musical language in jazz. The blending of these many areas resulted in the concept found on both Tendrils of Light and, later, Ganesh—blending elements of jazz with elements of one or two world music styles in each tune.

This first CD release includes “Buddha’s Siesta,” (Japanese/Samba), Arabopic (Middle Eastern), “Tendrils of Light” (Indian), “Antelopin” (Afro-Cuban) and “Zimbabalupi” (African) as well as contemporary jazz compositions and arrangements in a wide (and sometimes unusual) range of styles. The two covers include “Well You Needn’t” (Reggae) and “Do Nothing ‘Till You Hear it From Me” (slinky modal)

Players include Dave Flippo-keys, Dan Hesler-saxes and flutes, Steve Hashimoto-electric bass, Aras Biskis-drum kit, Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang and Ken Gueno-percussion, Donn De Santo-acoustic bass.