2019: Rent Romus’ Deciduous with Keith Kelly

Nava Dunkelman: percussion
Gabby Fluke-Mogul: violin
Keith Kelly: tenor, soprano saxophones
Heikki Koskinen: e-trumpet
Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass
Rent Romus: alto, soprano, c-melody saxophones, flutes, percussion

Deciduous is an ongoing multi regional project originally formed by Columbus Ohio pianist Gerard Cox and curated by SF Bay Area saxophonist Rent Romus based on the mutual bridging of those who share a creative tenacity, history and transitory nature of improvisation. The music travels through free wheeling plots development, enriched with worldly modalities and extended soloing.

“Romus and company fuse diversity with bold ideas and evocative solos to complement the disparate currents and their irrefutable fellowship.” —Glenn Astartia, All About Jazz

Saxophonist and educator Keith Kelly, a San Francisco Bay Area native, holds a BM in Performance (Saxophone) and a BM in Music Education from the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific, an MM in Music Education (Jazz Studies) and DMA in Music Education (Jazz Studies) from Arizona State University. Currently, he is the Coordinator of Music Humanities at Paradise Valley Community College and the Director of Education for The Nash, the premier jazz education and performance organization in Phoenix, AZ. As a woodwind specialist, he has toured with the Eels, Darlene Love, The Scorpion Decides, Under The Streetlamp, and his own free-jazz group, Ask Not. Kelly has performed with a wide variety of musical ensembles including: Crossing 32nd St, CONDER/dance company, Boxhead Ensemble,The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Natalie Cole, Maynard Ferguson, The Temptations, Glen Campbell, Diana Schuur, and numerous tv/radio/music personalities. Kelly has performed in or supervised over 35 different musical theater productions throughout Northern California and the greater Southwest, including “The Unfortunates”, which debuted at ACT's The Strand Theater in San Francisco in 2016, with his original horn arrangements.

Rent Romus’ Deciduous (photo by Peter B Kaars)