Caught In The Act by Saxophone Cartel

September 2005 - Performance at Fourth Street Festival of the Arts & Crafts, Bloomington, Indiana

June 2006 - Live recording of the Sax Cartel's next CD release, date TBD

2003-2006 - Live appearances at festivals and local radio stations WFHB and WFIU

July 2006 - Appearance on "The Weekly Special", WTIU Bloomington

September 2006 - Debut of punk/free jazz saxes plus rhythm section version of the Sax Cartel, "Carteloid"!

The Saxophone Cartel members:

Matt Cashdollar - alto, tenor, baritone, C melody sax, flute, didjeridoo: Matthew Cashdollar is a multi-instrumentalist from Fort Wayne, IN. He attended Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Instrumental Music Education. Cashdollar then earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at IU-Bloomington, where he played lead tenor in David Baker's Jazz Band. He has played with several groups of varying styles (including jazz, funk, soul, reggae, hip-hop, and modern rock) that have toured Indiana and its surrounding states, including the Freak Brothers and Goza. In July 2005, his Madcap 4 played at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Netherlands. Matt currently resides in Chicago, IL.

Michael Eaton - alto, tenor sax, clarinet: Michael Eaton is a native of Liberty, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. He attended IU-Bloomington from 1999-2004, where he performed in David Baker's Jazz Band. Michael has also appeared with local groups in various genres, including the Bloomington Pops, Rob Dixon's Triology, the Steve Allee Big Band, jazz/rock Monster Zero Orchestra, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Kyle Quass Quintet, the (x)tet, and others. Michael has performed live in concert with David Baker, Jim Snidero, Ingrid Jensen, Matt Darriau, Michael Weiss, Sylvia McNair, the Temptations, and with Fred Hersch in his collegiate "Leaves of Grass" ensemble.

Morgan Price - soprano, alto, baritone sax, recorder: Morgan Price comes from Rockville, Maryland. He graduated from Indiana University in 2006 with a Jazz Studies degree, where he played in David Baker’s Jazz Band. He has appeared locally with Mojai, Monster Zero Orchestra, IU Soul Revue, the Threepenny Opera, and the (x)tet, among many others. Recent projects have included a large group tribute to the music of Charles Mingus, and a new funk/soul/jazz sextet called Clockwork.

Colin Renick - alto, tenor, baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet: Colin Renick is a multi-instrumentalist who performs in a variety of styles. He earned Master’s Degrees in Classical Saxophone Performance and Jazz Studies from Indiana University, where he served as an Associate Instructor in both the Jazz and Woodwind departments. In 2006 he served as an Associate Instructor of woodwinds at DePauw University. Colin has performed with David Sanchez, David Baker’s Jazz Band, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, the Evansville Philharmonic, Goza, the Mustard Cats Dixieland Jazz Band, and the Genkin Philharmonic. He has performed across the United States and in Mexico and Italy. In January 2006 he joins the Annapolis-based United States Navy Band, The Next Wave.

Peter Sparacino - alto, tenor sax: Peter Sparacino is from San Francisco, California and graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies. Locally he performed with the IU Soul Revue, Monster Zero Orchestra, Buselli-Wallerab Jazz Orchestra, and various small groups in jazz, funk, R&B, and other genres. He currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Quotes:

"Wonderful group. Original stuff and well played." -- David Liebman, internationally renowned master saxophonist, improviser, composer, and educator

"All-saxophone groups tend to be quartets, but the Saxophone Cartel bumps the standard format up to a sextet, adding detail rather than mere weight to the ensemble sound. They keep at a slant to Jazz orthodoxy: there are nods to classical polyphonic tradition (the gradually swelling procession of “Passacaglia”) and the punchy horn charts of James Brown’s band (“Key of J.B.”), and even the more Jazz-centric pieces feature scrimshaw-intricate arrangements rather than the usual head/solos/head structure...There are several free improvisations, which place the emphasis on spontaneous convergence, as riffs and melodies emerge and are quickly seized on: despite abrasive moments such as the squiggly opening to “Newton’s Nightmare,” the mood is playful rather than confrontational or austere...The imaginative arrangements (mostly Benjamin Himpel’s handiwork) offer a more individual voice than any of the players’ actual solo work, perhaps, but Caught in the Act is still well worth hearing, offering a few new wrinkles on the familiar sax-ensemble format." © Cadence Magazine 2006 www.cadencebuilding.com ph: 315-287-2852

"Saxophone Cartel, a diaphanous sextet brings about classic reed forms of sounds as well as an array of modern jazz stylizations and improvising passages. Caught In The Act expresses a motley and capacious inventive mastery of reed-instruments. Euphonies grade from European jazz shapes to twisted, airy and fancy soundscapes.

The free nuances, attacks and jazz accent skills of these six young artists are top rate, whiffing and huffing with a natural simplicity and zealous receptivity. Reed impulses lead and drift with every member’s breath. From “David Miller presents” to “Creation” the tracks hook you into its fashion without swamping you. The reticulation can be tonal plus assuasive in a deck of atonal twinkles.

Soprano saxophonist Ariel Alexander rips through a rather laborious mishmash of free-figures and improvised licks encouraged by frenzied Cashdollar, Eaton, Goldberg, Himpel and Renick’s soaring rhythms. Saxophone Cartel’s appeal is cored within its cooperative blend to inter-cross heterogeneous genres into a peculiar musical aura that bears a manifold amazement.

Although the band is rooted under a classical polyphonic heritage, they visit contemporary pieces with unique musical configurations. The improvs are accented with impetuous concourses as riffs and new sounds emanate fluently. Caught In The Act is well worth hearing offering a great spotlight to six talented artists with a high level of musicianship. We certainly will hear more about their craft." -- Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez, www.jazzreview.com

(see http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-18363.html)

"Saxophone Cartel - "Caught in the Act"

Die Instrumentierung lässt es bereits erahnen: Hier ist eine Menge Experimentierfreude im Spiel. In der ungewöhnlichen Besetzung eines reinen Saxofon-Sextetts zeigt die amerikanisch-deutsche Formation "The Saxophone Cartel" auf ihrem Debut-Album, wie elegant es klingen kann, wenn das typischste der typischen Jazz-Instrumente einmal aus seinem Genre- und Rollen-Korsett ausbrechen darf.

Saxophone Cartel - "Caught in the Act"

Nein, gepflegt-langweiliger Cocktail-Jazz ist das beileibe nicht, was da aus der Stereoanlage tönt, legt man "Caught In The Act", den Erstling des Cartels, ein: Da kreischt das Alt schon mal, während die beiden Tenorsaxofone einen Staccato-Groove aufbauen, das Bariton brummelnd grundiert und das Sopran mit chromatischen Tonfolgen in höchste Lagen noch einen draufsetzt. War gerade ein flotter Dixie im Anmarsch, geht es urplötzlich in schleppenden Blues-Schritten weiter. Klassischer Polyphonie ("Passacaglia") folgen impulsive Kollektiv-Improvisationen ("Ring Shout").

Frisch und ideenreich lotet die Formation um den 30-jährigen Bonner Tenor- und Baritonspieler Benjamin Himpel in dessen Eigenkompositionen die Schnittmenge von Jazz, Avantgarde und freier Improvisation aus. Ein Tipp nicht nur für Saxofon-Liebhaber."

Johannes Kloth

review from jazzdimensions.com

(see http://www.jazzdimensions.de/reviews/jazz/2006/sax_cartel_caught.html)

"The Saxophone Cartel is an exciting new saxophone sextet that explores the boundaries of the saxophone repertoire, from completely composed classical pieces, to imaginatively arranged jazz compositions, to almost completely improvised pieces, that utilize all the members of the saxophone family, including the rarely heard bass saxophone. The group's extraordinary and entertaining music goes well beyond strictly classical or jazz boundaries, and the Sax Cartel performs with both precision and colorful and joyous verve, [reminiscent] of the World Saxophone Quartet and the ROVA Sax Quartet." -- David Miller, Jazz Fables

"The Saxophone Cartel is a joy to experience! Their multidimensional music weaves together sublimely tuneful original compositions, free improvisation, and humor. They even resurrect music by the Six Brown Brothers. This ensemble will make you smile." -- Tom Walsh, Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies, Indiana University

"Very cool, guys (and girl)! The world needs more people who are willing to break new ground in saxophone ensembles. SATB quartets are great, but the saxophone family can do even more when you bring in a few more players and a few different horns. I look forward to seeing what you do and where you go!" -- Jay C. Easton, woodwinds faculty at the University of San Diego, multi-multi-instrumentalist, recording artist

"We all enjoyed your set and yes to next year if you are all here...You guys are great and so tight it is scary." -- Lee VB, co-organizer of Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts, Bloomington, IN

"You all are one of the best things to happen to Bloomington in 30 years! The concept, execution, and musicianship were all tremendous. I was dazzled." -- Jerry Nees, Bloomington-area listener and musician

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