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Chicken Bonz—
Well known to Nevada County and beyond, Ludi Hinrichs brings a whole new mix of talent and experience to festivals with his six-piece group, ChickenBonz.
This is jazz crossover, original music and arrangements with a few select covers. Chicken
Bonz has a flair for quirky humor, skilled showmanship, and tasty four part horn arrangements.
photo © Samantha Hinrichs
Murray Campbell on fiddle, oboe and English horn; Randy McKean on alto sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet; Joe Fajen on trombone and tabla, Tom Hannickel on acoustic bass (not pictured,) Kit Bailey on drums and hand percussion and myself on piano, trombone, didjeridu and lead vocals.
QUOTES:
"The originality and unpredictability of their music makes for a very exciting show!” —Paul Emery, Nevada County event producer
“I loved ChickenBonz! —Carol Herschleb, Artisans Festival, Nevada City, CA
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"The thing that amazes and amuses me is the diversity and skill of this grouping. We really enjoy each others presence and contributions; ChickenBonz has a depth and spirit to it that I have wanted to see manifest for years.
No electronics, we prefer organic sound. Most songs and compositions use the front line of 3 or 4 unique horns (for instance two trombones, bass clarinet and oboe). At times we sing in six part harmony. Fun stuff indeed, I get my inspiration from skillful writers and arrangers like Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, and Igor Stravinsky. All original compositions and arrangements...."
LUDI HINRICHS & CHICKENBONZ
October 22, 2011 CD Release Concert—
Thanks to Mikail Graham for providing this video clip from the concert at the
Northern California Center for the Arts!
Click to View Video
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PRESS RELEASE * CHICKEN BONZ • OCTOBER, 2011 Download PDF Press Release
Ludi Hinrichs bends over his piano, his shoulders hunch around his ears and his right hand reaches up to the highest keys while his left keeps a bluesy rhythm. He sticks his tongue into his cheek with concentration, and suddenly the blues morphs into a deep jazz riff with Baltic tones. He stands up, reaches for his trombone while the piano keeps the riff going, and starts to play the liquid notes from his brassy bone with the piano. So what does this guy do with a whole band?
“ChickenBonz came about out of a need- I was playing in clubs and schlepping a piano around and getting older, and not using my writing/arranging skills. In the past few years, I’ve met some remarkable musicians right here in Nevada County, so I called them up one day and we had a rehearsal, and it clicked,” says Ludi.
"What’s more, the group has a somewhat unusual instrumentation, and I like the challenge and joys of writing for oboe, bass clarinet, and two trombones as an ensemble, or using fiddle, sax, and trombone within a Morrocan groove”, he adds.
The diversity of the line up is complimented by the array of songs, timelines,and wide swath of emotional range.
“One of our pieces uses Joe Fajen’s tabla drums with the piano, drawing from the millennia old RAGA tradition of Northern India. Reaching into the Now, we have a contemporary arrangement of one of Randy’s (saxophonist) compositions that you swear you heard in the East Village last time you visited. And let us not forget the “Down Doggie Blues” a Chicago style horn- driven piece with a twist: it’s about a Yoga class, that was written by my wife, Karen as her term paper!” says Hinrichs. And there is her piece, “Tribute to the Nisenan Maidu”, a healing song, so sweet and necessary.”
It is really the combination of musicians performing Ludi’s music that make ChickenBonz so unique. (All six members sing!)
Murray Campbell comes from a small village in the hills of Scotland. He grew up in a musical family and came to regard variety and experimentation as natural, and essential. While in the Netherlands, he played with the Balkan band, Parne Gadje.The Romanian influence shines through his playing, whether on the fiddle, oboe, or Cor d’ Anglais.
Randy McKean hails from Iowa, via New York and San Francisco, and plays sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, as well as writes novels. His musical journeys have led him to the Kitchen, in New York, where he premiered with Anthony Braxton’s Tri-Centric Orchestra and to Taiwan with a quartet of alto saxophones. He also gigs with his group, Bristle, and the Beaucoup Chapeau café band.
Joe Fajen, on trombone, tabla, riq, and frame drum, has lived in Nevada County since 2003. His performances on the tabla have included accompanying Raga singer Pandit Binay Pathak of Mumbai, and Mathew Montfort of the group Ancient Future. He has played trombone in numerous contexts, including the salsa group, Sabroso.
Ludi Hinrichs, bass and tenor trombones, piano, didjeridu, and vocals, has been assimilating sounds since he was two. He works as a recording artist, educator, choir director, and arranger/composer as well as leading his own jazz groups. Recent collaborations include the performance duo, “Night Messengers” with Terry Riley, and music/poetry ventures with Beat poet Gary Snyder including a reading of his classic, “Mountains and Rivers Without End” at the Tokyo Summer Festival in 2002. His quintet has played for numerous Music in the Mountains festivals in the past, premiering new works.
Sacramento upright bassist Tom Hannickel brings his acoustic sound to the Chickenbonz. Ludi and Tom have developed quite a rapport over the last twenty three years of playing together. “Tom is a very aware and agile musician”, says Ludi. “He knows my moves and rhythms and the ESP happens! He delivers that driving support that is the mark of a true bassist.”
Kit Bailey, drums and percussion, is in demand these days, keeping time for eight or so groups, including Power of Twelve and Troubadour Trouble. He is just as comfortable in the pit of a large orchestra as well as with Ken Hardin’s or Bill Douglass’ trios. His range of percussion reaches from Congolese, Brazilian, Rock, Funk, and big band.
© 2012, Ludi Hinrichs • website by Web Goddess Gallery
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