Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet

Leading an ensemble whose members individually excel in several musical genres and, collectively, create a unique and memorable soundprint, saxophonist-flutist Coke and guitarist Michel bring together a group that includes Austin Symphony principal harpist Elaine Barber, pedal steel player Bob Hoffnar (Liminal Sound Series), double bassist James Suter, and percussionist Carolyn Trowbridge on vibes.

Performing compelling music with origins in jazz, classical, folk, extended technique and improvisation, this unique ensemble is an outgrowth of Coke and Barber's popular weekly Driveway Concert Series  that ran from April 2020 through June 2021.

Composer and instrumentalist Alex Coke received his B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1976, with an emphasis on flute performance, before becoming one of the original members of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra and a touring member of the renowned Dutch ensemble Willem Breuker Kollektief. With a distinctive sound and an inclination toward experimentation, Coke exemplifies the traditions pioneered by fellow Texas tenors and jazz flutists, while expanding the possibilities of extended technique. His projects as bandleader include Live Action Brass Band, Leadbelly Legacy Band, New Texas Swing with Tina Marsh, and the post-bop quintet, The Worthy Constituents with pianist and composer, Rich Harney. Coke’s extensive discography includes his many projects and his work as a featured soloist with The Austin Jazz Workshop, Greezy Wheels, White Denim, Maryann Price, Accra Trane Station, KlezEdge, Reeds and Deeds, and many others.

Elaine Barber is Principal Harpist of the Austin Symphony and a regular guest with San Antonio Symphony. She performs a wide range of chamber music, solos, new music and early music in Austin and Central Texas. She plays with Texas Early Music Project (medieval & renaissance), Austin Baroque Orchestra, Allegro Chamber Trio (classical), Cleo Trio (jazz), and has worked with artists as diverse as Renee Fleming, Gladys Knight, and Shearwater. She’s a passionate teacher and director of the Girl Scout Harp Ensemble, the only known Girl Scout troop made up entirely of harpists.

Pedal steel guitarist Bob Hoffnar relocated to Austin from NYC in 2009 and has since become a major contributor to Austin’s cultural landscape. Originally from Silver Springs, Maryland, Hoffnar graduated from Purchase Conservatory of Music in 1998 with a BFA in Composition that included private studies with Richard Cameron Wolf. Further private studies included time with such musical luminaries as Lamonte Young, Pandit Pran Nath, and Ernest Tubb’s steel player Buddy Charelton. He currently runs the “Liminal Sound Series” which is a live concert performance series dedicated to the commissioning of new works and collaborations between visionary composers and Austin, TX. based musicians and performers.

James Suter is a bassist hailing from South Florida who recently received a Doctorate in Music and Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. James started his education at The University of Miami wherein he was a member of the prestigious Stamps Jazz Quintet. Following his bachelor’s degree, James then earned a Master’s degree from North Carolina Central University. He has shared the stage with Gary Burton, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Matt Wilson, Gilad Hekselman, Ellis Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Andre Hayward, Joe Lovano, Steve Davis, Joey Calderazzo, Ira Sullivan, and many others. James resides in Austin, Texas where he teaches and performs regularly. James is on faculty as a bass instructor at Austin Community College and Temple College.

Originally from Alexandria, VA, Carolyn Trowbridge is an Austin-based percussionist who specializes in vibraphone, marimba, steel pan, and world percussion. Growing up overseas in Gabon, Czech Republic, and Norway, she has a wide variety of musical influences. As an active performer, she performs, records, and tours nationally in a wide variety of styles:  soul, funk, pop, jazz, experimental, and rock bands, among others. Carolyn maintains a full studio where she teaches percussion, piano, and improvisation. She received a Bachelors in performance from James Madison University and a Masters in performance from The University of Texas at Austin.

Carl Michel, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, became a co-founder of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra in Austin, TX, with the innovative lead vocalist Tina Marsh. He has released several projects under Play On Records including “Food Of Love,” ”The Carl Michel Group,” “The Carl Michel Group (+)” and “Music In Motian: (The Compositions Of Paul Motian)”.  Carl has received two Emmy awards in Music Composition and Arrangement based on his work from a 16-part documentary series about 1930s-2000s pioneering female journalist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer Doris O’Donnell Beaufait titled Doris O’Donnell’s Cleveland.” His music is featured on film soundtracks “The Fourteenth Victim – Eliot Ness & The Torso Murders,” and “Dusk & Shadow – The Mystery Of Beverly Potts.”