More Information About Occidental Brothers Dance Band International with Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls

Description

<p>Guitarist Nathaniel Braddock leads the Occidental Brothers' Dance Band International, Braddock teaches music, including African guitar styles, at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. He is a veteran of Chicago's improvised music and Indie rock scene, playing with Ancient Greeks (Flameshovel, Neoplex Japan), and the Zincs (Thrill
Jockey).</p> <p>Braddock is joined by Greg Ward on alto saxophone. Ward is a rising star of Chicago's jazz scene, hosting a weekly gig at the Velvet Lounge for over two years, and playing with Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls and Zanya Cordova's Latin ensemble. Kyle Hernandez, another veteran of the local jazz scene, plays upright bass.</p> <p>On congas and percussion is Dan Sylvester, a veteran of the Colombian son group Casolando. George Lawler has recently joined the combo on conga and percussion. Lawler played for years with Najib Nbahri's Elamal, and plays currently with Mucca Pazza and other groups. Antonio Carella and Greg Lundberg join on percussion.</p> <p>In Chicago's jazz scene, drummer/composer/producer Ted Sirota is perhaps best known for his extensive work with guitarist Jeff Parker and for leading his avant-garde/post-bop band the Rebel Souls. The politically outspoken Sirota is not the sort of avant-garde improviser who plays atonal music exclusively-far from it.</p> <p>Sirota has favored an inside/outside approach, and while he can be abstract, intellectual, angular, or cerebral, the Midwesterner can also be quite musical and melodic. Compositionally, Sirota brings a long list of influences to his recordings-a list that includes, among others, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, reggae icon Bob Marley, and the late Nigerian star Fela Kuti (who was greatly influenced by modal jazz).</p> <p>As a drummer, Sirota has been affected by explorers who range from Ed Blackwell, Andrew Cyrille, and Rashied Ali to Elvin Jones and Max Roach. Although jazz-oriented, Sirota is far from an elitist jazz snob. He has gladly acknowledged the influence of reggae, calypso, soca, and African music, and the drummer spent two years backing veteran blues singer Eddie Kirkland; also, he has done studio work for Chicago-based rappers Longshot and Diverse. </p>

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