Stephen Rush: Composer, Artist, Professor

Stephen Rush:
Composer, Pianist, Author

Naked Dance

Stephen Rush, Piano/Toys
Andrew Bishop, Clarinets
Jeremy Edwards, Percussion

NEWEST RECORD – SOMETHING NEARBY on LEO RECORDS!

So-called “chamber jazz”, perhaps coming out of the Third-Stream 1960’s movement, is an often-overlooked corner of the new music world. The music of Jimmy Guiffre, especially, provides the impetus for this new project coming out of Michigan (USA) – Naked Dance! Combining clarinets (soprano and bass), piano and drums, with a flavoring of children’s toys courtesy of pianist Stephen Rush, the ensemble brings a classical sensibility to the world of Free Jazz. In fact, two of the members have doctorates in music composition from prestigious universities.

The music oscillates from the extremely accessible (“Far Away and It’s OK is a sheer exercise in the purity of b-minor) to spiky and difficult tunes like “Trancet” and “On the Verge” (both inspired by Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman – with whom Rush has interviewed and collaborated). Bishop has studied with Guiffre and Rush with Gunther Schuller – both Third Stream founders and pioneers. Their legacy continues with “Naked Dance”.

A new record coming out later this year – “Dark Matters”, based on the Big Bang.

(visit rushedwards.com for more info and media)