2013: Rent Romus’ Lords of Outland

C.J. Borosque: trumpet, analog electronics
Ray Schaeffer: 6-string electric bass
Philip Everett: drums, autoharp, electronics
Rent Romus: alto, soprano, C-melody saxophones
with special guests
Hasan Razzaq: saxophones
L.A. Jenkins: electric guitar

Rent Romus’ Lords of Outland will present The Proceedings of Dr. Ke, a suite of original compositions inspired by the essays of experimental psychologist Dr. Charles Ponce on what he termed “Blade Runner Psychology.” This suite of original compositions will be performed by the Lords of Outland consisting of Rent Romus on saxophones, CJ Borosque on trumpet and electronics, Ray Scheaffer on bass, and Philip Everett on drums, electronics and autoharp, with guest artists L.A. Jenkins on guitar and Hasan Abdur Razzaq on saxophone and cello, both from Columbus, Ohio.

Romus’ works utilize jazz traditions, and avant-garde sensibilities. Much of his compositions are inspired by literary works of contemporary science fiction or science fact writings. The writings of Dr Ponce straddle the fence between science and science fiction expanding Jungian psychology into the modern world by introducing futurist elements. It’s these elements that define the parameters of Romus' Compositions, which are meant to be invoking of both the futurist theme of Charles Ponce’s work and also his mystic interpretations of the words set to music.

Rent Romus is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, music and performing arts producer, and community leader living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is heavily involved in exploring outside the confines of standard music forms of composition and improvisations in a wide variety of musical settings. He is also focused in presenting and supporting the local experimental and avant-garde community. From his very beginnings as a student of jazz while being exposed to the twilight tutelage of Stan Getz, he found himself drawn to the outer realms of music. From 1986 to present day, Rent Romus has recorded and released 22 recordings as a leader featuring a cross section of new up and coming musicians, as well as seasoned veterans of the improvised arts, including Chico Freeman, John Tchiai, Vinny Golia, Thollem McDonas, Steve Rossi, Stefan Pasborg, and Ernesto Diaz-Infante, to name a few. As a producer and artist business activist he runs Edgetone Records, a label for all forms of improvisation and experimentation. He is the founder and Executive Director of Outsound Presents, under which he curates the SIMM Music Series at the Musicians Union Hall on alternate Sundays, as well as the long-standing Luggage Store Gallery New Music Series every Thursday both in San Francisco. The Outsound New Music Summit, now in its 12th year, is a national experimental music festival held in the greater San Francisco Bay Area every July.

Hasan Abdur-Razzaq, musician and painter (b. 1949, Montgomery, Alabama), based in Columbus Ohio, is both a prolific visual artist, and a lifelong devotee and practitioner of free jazz. Musically, Razzaq comes from the Cleveland scene of the late 1960’s that produced the Ayler Brothers, and cellist Abdul Wadud, amongst others. His work combines elements of ecstatic free jazz with periods of more reflective sounds. Travel to Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and study of African rhythms through hand drumming, has contributed to his sound through a consciousness of global musical culture.

L.A. Jenkins is a modern jazz guitarist and composer. His relaxed approach to his art is always about the music and the collaboration he forges with other like minded musicians. Originally a self-taught guitarist, he eventually studied music composition–specifically the harmolodic approach to song composition ala Ornette Coleman. His compositional work follows in the legacy of Anthony Braxton, Bill Frisell, Bill Laswell, Leroy Jenkins, Ornette Coleman and David Torn. He wishes “to advance the ideal of artistic freedom being unhindered by cultural assumptions about the individual and enforced as limiting expectations as it relates to categories and genre.” Thus he dips his “toe” (so to speak) into many styles of creative music. L. A’s, current interest is playing in the genre of modern jazz/free improvisation, ambient/ experimental, avant-garde, and film compositions. L.A. has collaborated with percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, bassist Tom Abbs, and saxophonist Michael Cary, to name a few.

Artist (photo by Photographer)