Album Notes

Live at Earthshaking Music is a double CD set of the incredible SS Puft Quartet of Athens with a very special guest, saxophonist Dave Rempis (of Chicago's Triage and Vandermark 5, among others).

With wildly versatile guitar genius Colin Bragg, innovative trumpet colorist Jeff Crouch, expressionistic drum master Blake Helton, the redefined bass-plus of H'arpeggionist Killick Erik Hinds, and the serpetine brilliance of Dave Rempis, this is free music for the next century...a true hybrid of five highly idiosyncratic energies.

From explosion to whisper, rocket to crawl, every moment is compelling, beautiful, and distinct.

Expertly recorded by Jeff Rackley before an audience at one of the hot spots for great music in Atlanta.

-Colin Bragg, born 1972, was inspired to play music by Pete Townshend's Give Blood, Rush's Big Money, and Nena's 99 Luft Balloons; he picked up the synth at age 12 wanting to make strange sounds and then guitar because Jimmy Page's Heartbreaker solo sounded like a swarm of bees. He is primarily self-taught though did learn much from his guitarist father. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in both classical guitar performance and music composition. Colin has taught at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina and is currently a freelance musician in Atlanta, Georgia.
-Jeff Crouch, born 1978, began music studies at the tender age of 2, picking up the trumpet at age 9. He holds a degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia and a Masters in African-American Improvisational Music from the California Institute of the Arts. He has studied with Fred Mills (of Canadian Brass), John Fumo, Wadada Leo Smith, Leroy Jenkins, Vinny Golia, Susan Allen, and most recently with Charlie Haden.
-Blake Helton, born 1973, loves all kinds of obscure music. His drumming and keyboard playing is self-taught, and he has played in every conceivable style and set-up imaginable. You can hear in his playing everything from 70's Italian prog-rock to Henry Cow to the classic Blue Note jazz recordings all in an entirely idiosyncratic formulation.
-Killick Erik Hinds, born 1972, started playing music on guitar at the age of 12 after actively listening to many different styles in his early childhood. Killick's H'arpeggione guitar/bass/cello combo allows a variety of approaches, sometimes all at once! He plays and promotes a wide span of music, runs Solponticello Records, and is an advocate for sounds deserving of a wider audience and the cultural implications thereof.
-Dave Rempis is just plain awesome.