Exegesis

Exegesis is the belief that symbols, scientific thought, astronomical ideas, numerical ratios and conceptual art and architecture can be expressed in sound. Indeed, many of the group's compositions were conceived using these influences and ideas. This group has created it's own style of electronic jazz, making use of live samplers and interactive music software in quite complex compositions. Exegesis has always strived to bridge the gap between modern music technology and improvisation and the music on their new CD, The Harmony of the Anomaly is a nice reflection of this. The group's core members are Nick Demopoulos on guitar, Danton Boller on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. On "The Harmony of the Anomaly," several musicians make guest appearances including vocalist Gretchen Parlato on two tracks, drummers Greg Gonzalez, Robert Perkins, Mark Guiliana and Mark Ferber.

EXEGESIS has performed throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In February/March 2008, EXEGESIS participated in the "American Music Abroad" program sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State. This program enabled EXEGESIS to perform in Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. EXEGESIS has also performed at the Montruex Jazz Festival, The House of Blues, Dizzy's Club in New York, The Knitting Factory, and The National Geographic Auditorium in Washington D.C. EXEGESIS' trip to the Middle East had a great impact on the group and inspired guitarist Demopoulos to purchase an Oud in Yemen. Although the influence of Middle Eastern music, scales, and microtonality might not be obvious, the sense of foreign or exotic melodies and sounds can be felt on the group's latest CD from June of 2011, "The Harmony of the Anomaly." This is a followup to the group's first CD, "The Order of Chaos" which largely attempted to create organized long form improvisations over quite simple harmonic materials and rhythmic cells.

Nick Demopoulos

EXEGESIS is led by guitarist Nick Demopoulos, who composes much of the music performed by the group. He is best known as a guitarist by working with NEA Jazz master Chico Hamilton, with whom he has been playing and recording with since 2008 and will be appearing on Chico Hamilton's latest release "Revelations," scheduled to be available in the fall of 2011. Demopoulos got his start working with the acid jazz group, Solsonics in Los Angeles in the early 90's and the funky jazz influence of that project is apparent in his playing. Some venues where he has performed include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, The Phoenix Festival and the Hamberg Jazz Festival. In attempting to find a way to better perform interactive computer music, Nick created his own instrument called the "Smomid," a string modeling midi device. The Smomid is a touch sensitive instrument that resembles a guitar, but with no strings and many knobs and buttons to control tone, pitch, filters and various effects. Nick has also composed two musicals in collaboration with playwrite Ford Wright, "Rhymes with Adventure" and "I, Medusa." Rhymes with Adventure was chosen as one of the best theatre pieces of the '99-00 season by the Village Voice and was performed at the Soho Repertory Theatre. The following year, I, Medusa appeared at the Ontological Theatre in New York.

Danton Boller

is the group's bassist and a major component to the unique sound of this ensemble. The various instruments he uses to play baselines with Exegesis include upright bass, electric bass, electric stick bass and keyboard bass. He was a member of Roy Hargrove's quartet for four years until 2009 and has performed with many notable musicians including Billy Higgins, Wallace Roney, Mulgrew Miller, the Jazz Mandolin Project, Duffy Jackson, Anthony Wilson, Kurt Elling, Joshua Redman, Mark Shim, Mark Turner, Greg Tardy, Joe Labarbara, Alex Acuna, Kei Akagi, Sunship Theus, Roy McCurdy, Lawrence Marabele. He has received many awards including The Shelly Manne New talent Award in 1997 and won first place in the Charles Dolo Coker Jazz Scholarship in 1994. He has recorded two albums with Anthony Wilson, the first one receiving a Grammy nomination.

Tomas Fujiwara

is the drummer in EXEGESIS and a key component to the group's sound. With "a quiet energy that propels' (All About Jazz) and a style that is "both volatile and watchful" (New York Times), Tomas ' "alert drumming has propelled some excellent ensembles on the new-music landscape" (New York Times). His energy, creativity and virtuosity enable the group to play material over a broad dynamic range, as can be heard throughout EXEGESIS' latest CD. Tomas has been leading his own group, The Hookup, and has toured the USA, Canada, Mexico, Korea and Japan for 3 years as a cast member of the Off-Broadway hit STOMP. A partial list of his performance and recording credits include Anthony Braxton, Roy Campbell, Daniel Carter, Joe Chambers, Ravi Coltrane, Smith Dobson, Norah Jones, Steve Lehman, Mike Longo, Junior Mance, Tarus Mateen, Makanda Ken McIntyre, and William Parker. Show less