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Skerik

The Syncopated Taint Septet formed unexpectedly and organically in the summer of 2002 when Skerik was at home in Seattle between tours. Talking with long-time comrade and baritone saxophonist Craig Flory, Skerik decided to reactivate a sax-and-organ group with Joe Doria on Hammond organ and John Wicks on drums. Soon, the horn count increased as Skerik enlisted fellow Seattle musicians Dave Carter on trumpet, Hans Teuber on alto saxophone on flute, and Steve Moore on trombone and Wurlitzer electric piano, packing the harmonies (and the stage) with a five-horn front line. From the beginning, Skerik invited all of the musicians to suggest ideas and write music for the band. "The great part about this band is everyone writes music for the group. For me, these guys represent what is best about Seattle musicians: very strong improvisational ability combined with unique, creative musical compositions."

Skerik took the name "Syncopated Taint" from a description used by Harry J. Anslinger, the appointed Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1962. In the same type of puritanical, xenophobic 1930s climate that gave rise to Hitler in Germany, Anslinger pursued a zealous, sensationalistic, and often racist mission in the United States to demonize drugs and the people who use them. His campaign had a particular bias against jazz musicians, who Anslinger saw as satanic addicts responsible for the spread of marijuana use among the nation's impressionable youth. Among several other disturbing remarks to Congress, Anslinger famously differentiated between "jazz music" and "good music". "Syncopated taint" was another term he used to refer to the rhythmic and moral contaminations he perceived in jazz.

When Skerik came across Anslinger's description, he decided to flip it and co-opt the phrase as the name of this group. For Skerik, it fits. "I like to think of this group as punk-jazz. Maybe a punk-jazz version of the Thelonius Monk Octet. I find that a very useful term, which is also something that Jaco Pastorius used to use to describe his music. I was very influenced by the way he who could play the shit out of bebop and then turn around and interpret a Jimi Hendrix tune just as deeply. Even though people consider that to be two different genres, I've always felt they were very closely related. Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix were both coming from the same place, the same roots, and they were both making music that was revolutionary and radical, politically and musically."

Thomas Marriott: Live From the Heat Dome

by Paul Rauch
January 28, 2023

A “heat dome" is created when an area of high pressure hovers over an area for days or weeks, trapping warm air underneath. The meteorological phenomena is much like a lid on a boiling pot. In late June of 2021, residents of the Pacific Northwest became plainly aware of what a heat dome is by experiencing three days of severe heat topping 108 degrees, in an area more accustomed to temperatures in the low to mid seventies. The three days ...

Album Review

Thomas Marriott: Live From the Heat Dome

Read "Live From the Heat Dome" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
November 26, 2022

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott settled into his groove on the Seattle-based Origin Records. He released more than a dozen discs under his own name there, including the gorgeous Romance Language (2020), a striking ballad set, and Trumpet Ship (2018), a high-energy bop workout. And then there was Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson (Origin Records, 2008), described as having “a distinctly modern and often brash tone." And “Favoring some serious musical adventurousness." With Live From The Heat Dome that ...

Album Review

Garage A Trois: Calm Down Cologne

Read "Calm Down Cologne" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
April 2, 2021

Formed by guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik and drummer Stanton Moore in 1999, Garage A Trois has sparked a slew of “But is it jazz?" debates with every new release. Calm Down Cologne will do it again. GAT has been through various incarnations since its debut EP, The Mysteryfunk (Fog City Records, 1999), necessitated by the departure of Hunter. The group's last album, 2011's Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family), was actually made by a ...

Album Review

The Nels Cline Singers: Share the Wealth

Read "Share the Wealth" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero

by Vincenzo Roggero
February 1, 2021

L'idea era di registrare delle lunghe improvvisazioni per poi selezionare frammenti, operare un copia-incolla di davisiana memoria e dar vita ad una sorta di mosaico/collage psichedelico. L'ascolto del materiale registrato, la percezione della magia sprigionata dalle sessions e della unicità dei brani hanno cambiato le carte in tavola e suggerito di pubblicare integralmente, senza sforbiciate, quello che è diventato Share the Wealth. Ossia--nella versione doppio LP e CD (oltre ottanta minuti) registrato in soli due giorni dalla versione allargata di ...

Album Review

The Nels Cline Singers: Share The Wealth

Read "Share The Wealth" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
December 3, 2020

Guitarist Nels Cline has led the Nels Cline Singers since 2002. While they have sometimes had guest performers on their recordings, the core band has been a trio of Cline, drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Trevor Dunn (originally Devin Hoff). This album expands the group to a sextet with the addition of saxophonist Skerik, keyboardist Brian Marsella and percussionist Cyro Baptista. The experimental ante was further upped by the fact that they had never before played together in this combination, ...

Album Review

Ryan Burns: Postponed Parade

Read "Postponed Parade" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
November 18, 2020

Keyboardist Ryan Burns' Postponed Parade happened, in large part, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The vexing virus that hit us in 2020 made getting together difficult and dangerous--for music-making or anything else. So here is what Burns did: During Covid-19 times he recorded and released a single tune each month, from May to October 2020. These sessions took place in his contributing musicians' houses, with the exception of “Shoreline," recorded in a studio, but with everyone in a separate room. ...

Album Review

The Nels Cline Singers: Share The Wealth

Read "Share The Wealth" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
November 11, 2020

A work of pummeling beauty, exhaustion and exhilaration await at the end of genre rogue guitarist Nels Cline's upheaval Share the Wealth, eighty minutes of magical, maniacal, free jam composition that, in perhaps a few more years down the line--if the line makes it past Election Day--we'll argue stands right up there with such and such album of equal fire and fury. Time, to which we've become too nervously accustomed, is tense, and everyone's cranked to ten or ...

Interview

Skerik continues his collaborative adventures

Source: Groove Notes
March 14, 2012

"I very much believe in a collaborative environment, and trying to get a real band where everyone has an equal say in writing the music, arranging the music and shaping the music. That's always been a real priority for me." —Skerik I had the opportunity to speak to saxophonist Skerik by phone this afternoon, on the day of his new release Skerik's Bandalabra: Live at the Royal Room (Royal Potato Family). In this interview, Skerik talks about his early influences, ...
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Performance / Tour

Skerik's Bandalabra: Debut Album, Tour Dates

Source: JamBase
February 14, 2012

DEBUT ALBUM LIVE AT THE ROYAL ROOM OUT MARCH 13 ON ROYAL POTATO FAMILY Saxophonist extraordinaire Skerik has formed a new group called Skerik's Bandalabra. The band's first release, Live at the Royal Room, is out March 13 as a digital exclusive on Royal Potato Family. Click here to listen to “Charlie Don't Like It" off Live at the Royal Room, and check out their tour dates below. Skerik's Bandalabra is Skerik-sax, Dvonne Lewis-drums, Evan Flory-Barnes-bass, and Andy Coe-guitar. Skerik's ...
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Event

Skerik/Radioactive: Music Class

Source: JamBase
February 27, 2010

Blue Bear School of Music Master Class Artist Series Presents: Skerik + Radioactive = SKERDIO!!!

skerik Seattle's highly acclaimed madman saxophonist and Bay Area favorite Skerik will physically appear along with worldwide underground legend emcee and beatboxer Radioactive as the newly formed duo SKERDIO. The event will take place at the Blue Bear School of Music on Saturday, March 13 at 6 P.M.

Skerik (Critters Buggin, Dead Kenny G's, Garage a Trois, Syncopated Taint Septet, Roger Waters, Les ...
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Interview

Tues Double Shot: Skerik

Source: JamBase
December 16, 2009

ATTACK OF THE SAXOPHONIC COLOSSUS!

Skerik In the tradition '70s FM radio, JamBase's Tuesday tradition offers readers a pair of fab tunes from an artist worthy of the Double Shot treatment.

This week we give the nod to Skerik, one of the most versatile, overall gifted and downright adventurous musicians on the planet right now (a view held by not a few folks, including JamBase's Associate Editor Dennis Cook). He's a musical mad hatter and a fizzy catalyst for unsafe, ...
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Performance / Tour

Skerik: Live Performance and Clinic

Source: JamBase
November 13, 2009

SKERIK TO GIVE LIVE PERFORMANCE AND CLINIC

Skerik Local saxophonist Skerik (Critters Buggin, Dead Kenny Gs, Garage a Trois, Syncopated Taint Septet, Roger Waters, Les Claypool, etc) will physically appear at Seattle's Georgetown Drum School on December 2 at 7:00 p.m. He will bring his latest electronics set up that allows him to efficiently change timbres, sounds and directions.

Skerik will demonstrate signal path, unity gain and survival in the electronic music world, meaning survival techniques using any sound system ...
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Education

SF's Pyramind School Presents: Skerik Master Class

Source: JamBase
August 28, 2009

Pyramind Presents Skerik: Recording Chaos and Acoutronica Concepts September 19

Skerik San Francisco's Pyramind proudly welcomes acclaimed musician Skerik as the next guest in their “Elite Sessions" series of weekend master classes. Pyramind is the leader in digital audio, recording, and electronic music training in the heart of San Francisco. Skerik is a highly acclaimed musician (i.e. insane Seattle sax hero and overall musical genius, see: Garage a Trois, Critters Buggin, Les Claypool). On Saturday September 19, these worlds collide ...
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Performance / Tour

Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet At NXNW at Philadelphia

Source: All About Jazz
October 21, 2006

Skerik is a saxophone player who has popped up all over the scene, from his own band Critters Buggin' to his spot as co-founder of Garage A Trois to playing onstage with bands like Robert Walter's 20th Congress and Medeski, Martin, and Wood, as well as the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Count on hearing music from his current release Syncopated Taint Septet Husky

Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septer Tuesday, October 24 Showtime 9:00 pm North ...
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Interview

Skerik Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
October 16, 2006

Seattle-born saxophonist Skerik isn't a jazz musician. Or at least, he wouldn't say he is, because no contemporary instrumentalist is more indifferent to--even contemptuous of--musical boundaries and genres.

Still, through projects like Garage a Trois and associations with artists including 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Bobby Previte, not to mention his own Syncopated Taint Septet, it's the closest thing to a label that can be applied to this genre-bending/blending musician.

AAJ Contributing Editor Paul Olson caught up with Skerik ...
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Performance / Tour

Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet Announce West Coast Tour Dates

Source: All About Jazz
July 28, 2006

SKERIK'S SYNCOPATED TAINT SEPTET Get HUSKY With West Coast Tour Dates In August

“ST7 are in mind of Zappa meets the Dirty Dozen meets Basie meets the Crusaders and all on hallucinogens." - Biz (WNMC)

Free MP3 Download from Husky.

Brooklyn, NY - Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet have announced West Coast tour dates in August 2006 to support their new album, Husky, on HYENA Records. The seven-piece unit, who hail from Seattle, claim a five-front horn line featuring ...
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Recording

Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet's "Husky" Available June 27th on HYENA

Source: All About Jazz
May 17, 2006

In a recent observation on the state of jazz in the 21st century, music journalist Milo Miles wrote, “By now, it's a simple fact: funk and hip-hop are the foundation for jazz that gospel and blues used to be." It's a discerning statement that quite possibly frames the current standard for modern jazz and the new generation of audience that's fast developing along with the music.

If indeed the case, then June 27, 2006 is cause for celebration when Skerik's ...
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