Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica-Alvas Showroom

Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica

In the same way a chef de cuisine runs a kitchen, percussionist Brian O’Neill leads a team of five musical creators who deftly collaborate on instruments foreign and domestic to form modernist delicacies for hungry, curious listeners. From the high arts of jazz and chamber music to adaptations of mid-century exotica and pop art, the quintet version of Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica renders O’Neill’s original compositions and curious arrangements of Bach, Gershwin, Shostakovich and John Adams into cinematic, layered music for armchair travelers ready to journey off road.

While the quintet eschews most of the musical forms, rhythms, and styles of the 1950s exotica sound that inspired O’Neill, it fully embraces the unique genre’s love of escapism, whether through deliberate, out-of-context use of global sounds or through jazz improvisation that doesn’t swing and deliberately imitates the rhythm of a skipping record. On the listener’s plate might be equal parts scratch and sniff, bongos with a fugue, and a cat fight at a piano recital. On the stage, the ensemble skillfully negotiates detailed compositions and arrangements of classical works while relying on listening and instinct to drive passionate improvisation. The quintet has delighted ears across the US and internationally. Stay in touch with them on the official mailing list at https://orchestrotica.com/join

Genres:
Global jazz and exotic chamber music! In other words, it’s exotica night!

Performer Names/Instruments:
Brian O’Neill – vibes, percussion, comps/arranging
Geni Skendo- flute, bass flute, contrabass flute, shakuhachi
Michael Harrist – bass
Jeremy Smith – percussion
Tev Stevig – oud, cümbü?, resonator guitar