Photo by Brian Garrity
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SO, WHAT IS JELLOSLAVE?
Jelloslave's unique quartet pairs two cellos with tablas and drums. Cellists Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney use all 8 amplified strings to sing, squawk, scream, growl and purr their way through an eclectic repertoire of original compositions that also includes both Bach and Led Zeppelin. Known for their dynamic improvisations, the foursome pours heart and soul into their music which ranges from mesmerizing fusions of jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Indian rhythms, to surprising pop music interpretations. Their sound reveals their collective professional experience with some of the great names in new music today, including (on the short list.) Henry Threadgill, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant, Susan McKeown, Dan Wilson, Brandon Ross, George Cartwright, Myra Melford, Anthony Cox and Butch Morris. Jelloslave second CD Purple Orange was released in April 2010 to critical acclaim and two sold out concerts in Minneapolis. The CD features original compositions by Jelloslave cellists Michelle Kinney and Jacqueline Ultan, as well as arrangements of compositions by other artists, including an instrumental version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.
Jelloslave, which originally formed as a duo in 2003 by cellists Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney, has since become an established quartet with the addition of drummer Greg Schutte and tabla master Gary Waryan. Christopher Bahn from The Onion A.V. Club Blog describes Jelloslave: "Usually you'll find the cello quietly lurking in the back of your local symphony orchestra; sometimes it'll be brought out to provide a bit of somber coloration for a rock bands' "serious" songs. Jelloslave instead puts the cello front and center, using the approaches of both classical and rock (but beholden to neither), whipping up a bold, avant-garde sound that also includes Indian percussion and jazz improvisation." Since their first critically acclaimed release Touch It, Jelloslave has been a featured act at some of the Twin Cities most prominent festivals and venues, including St. Paul's Concrete and Grass and Sur Seine Festivals, The Northrop Summer Music Series, Macy's Day of Music, Mill City Live Summer Concert Series, Walker Art Center, Cedar Cultural Center, Southern Theater, and many more.
Listen to an interview with Chris Roberts and Jelloslave on MPR's Morning Edition: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/03/30/jelloslave/
Minneapolis Star Tribune Sunday March 24, 2010 Feature Story on Jelloslave: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/89161842.html
Review of Jelloslave's new CD: Purple Orange from Reviler Online 2010 Twin City progressive classical/jazz quartet Jelloslave occupies a unique place in the local music scene. It is a far cry from the madding crowd of the sweat and booze soaked madness of the bar scene and yet not quite completely buttoned down and proper enough to be adult contemporary either. It's an in-between area occupied by Serious Musicians making Serious Music. Much like locals the Bad Plus or Happy Apple, Jelloslave is too obscenely talented to create anything but creative, forward-thinking orchestrations. So it makes sense that those who are bound to enjoy Jelloslave's music are the ones who have an appreciation for that sort of thing. People who have taken music theory classes. People who listen for polyrhythm's instead of the hook. People who own recordings by Buffalo Collision.
But that isn't to say that the rest of us can't enjoy them as well. Jelloslave have a new record out called Purple Orange, and though it will likely find its largest audience in the aforementioned highbrows, it is also accessible enough to be enjoyed by wider audiences as well. The band's unique mix of intense cello sawing (played by Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney) and Indian and Caribbean influenced percussion (Greg Schutte on the drums and Gary Waryan on the tablas) make for an interesting blend of classical, jazz, and Eastern music. Ultan and Kinney's strings hiss, groan, and shriek like live things making up for a lack of vocals with virtuosic and unpredictable dynamism. The aggressive percussion, while in the backseat, is full of expertly crafted rhythms. The tablas especially pop, anchoring the cello freak outs to a solid bedrock of world beats. The diverse array of songs wanders through a universe of sound (including covers of Joy Division's "Love Will tear Us Apart" and Leonard Cohen's oft covered "Hallelujah"). At times every sonic stitching seems so seamless that one almost wishes for more ugly little pieces of discord to shake things up but as far as classical/jazz hybrids go the band doesn't play it too safe by far. Purple Orange is bound to end up being one of the better recordings released locally this year, though its heady pretext may hold back some from giving it a chance. That would be a shame though since most of us could stand to listen to more of this kind of music.
– Jon Behm
Review of Jelloslave's debut CD: "Touch It" from Perfect Porridge 2006
Jelloslave
Touch It
There's been some discussion lately about the avante-garde jazz scene in the Twin Cities, MN.
In addition to stellar local jazz groups including The Bad Plus, Happy Apple and Electropolis, there's another group worth knowing about. Jelloslave.
The foursome's cellos, tablas and drums make the most unique drones, squawks, moans and growls you can imagine from an oft-unexplored instrumental repertoire.
With a penchant for psych-improv with a twist, Jelloslave's new album, Touch It, is an ambiental auditory journey into the rabbit hole, with fulgent harmonies and discordant forget-me-nots coalescing into a seven-track rock opera gone wrong.
For instance, "Tangoed Up in You" is a 3 minute electronically modified super concerto you'll want to replay a few times before going to the next track.
"We improvised the first part of the Tangos and then played the Tango down.and then sped it up to warp speed!" says group co-founder Jacqueline Ultan. "Pretty wacky stuff huh? We actually did it as a joke at first but then we all loved it so there." Insane.
The album's title track is simply the best and currently picking up steam on local radio, and the group played a few dates in NYC this May.
It may have been the Beatles or E.L.O. that pioneered the pairing of classical instruments with rock music, but we prefer our cellos the Jelloslave way - trippy, fuzzed out WTF.
Check out Jelloslave in Minneapolis Friday, June 30th for the Be Girl Be Night at Nomad (backing up Desdamona), July 9th at the Kitty Cat Klub and August 11th at the Rogue Buddha Gallery.
Posted by Perfect Porridge on June 23, 2006 07:57 AM
Comments
This CD is one of the top ten Twin Cities releases of 2006!
Try a walk around Lake Harriet while you listen and see if you can do it without noticing people wondering what you must be listening to.this is headphones music at its best!
Every now and again we find ourselves buying a CD we know little or nothing about, hoping that it'll be worth the $16.00.do it with this release, it's a lot of sonic beauty and fun for the dollar. Oh.and SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS! Bryan
Posted by: Bryan Aaker | June 27, 2006 12:29 PM
Love this CD. Very well produced as well. If you like cello in jazz/experimental music, check out Jelloslave, as well as Kif, featuring Dave Fiuczynski on guitar and Rufus Cappadocia o.
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