Groove Syndicate
- Portland, OR
- Party Band
- 2 Verified Bookings
Lori A. B. C. said “Groove Syndicate made our event incredible! Our crowd had nothing but great things to say! They’re very accommodating, engaging, and fun. We asked them…”
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The Quadraphonnes saxophone quartet is not your average band. These 4 women (6 with a rhythm section) bring to the stage a powerful and rare show that delights the ear with tantalizing funk grooves and soaring saxophone solos. At clubs and festivals, they will make you dance with their funky New Orleans style show. At ceremonies or services you hear 4 lush classical saxophones reverberating through the cathedral providing ambiance music.
On a rare evening, you might witness them diving into the realm of John Cage or other avant-gaarde musical art.
The ensemble covers a broad spectrum of music: Originals, New Orleans style Jazz, John Coltrane, Tower of Power, David Bowie, Astor Piazzola etc.
Be the first to review The Quadraphonnes
Price Range: $500 and up
Gig Length: 5 - 240 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: None
Quadraphonnes have up to 4 hours of music to perform. The style of music and number of musicians may determine how many hours. For example: we can play 1 hour of serious classical music (just 4 saxes), but we can play up to 3 hours as just 4 saxes if we play a mixture of Jazz, light classical, & latin music. Adding our rhythm section allows us to play up to 4 hours. We can do a mixture of Rock, Jazz, Latin, & Classical. We also have vocal numbers.
Shows with Rhythm Section Include (6 Piece group):
-Groovin-Funky-New Orleans
-Jazz and Latin
-Classical-World Music-Original
-A Mix of Everything
Shows with Just 4 Saxes Include:
-Jazz-Funk-Latin
-Classical
-Avant Garde
-Holiday Music
-A Mix of Any Above
Multi-Media Show:
-Tone-Color-Melody
Mainly Original music written for the Quadraphonnes plus 2 cellos, percussion,
dancers and other performers with film and other mixed media.
Based in Portland, Oregon, the Quadraphonnes saxophone quartet is not your average band. These 4 women (6 with a rhythm section) bring to the stage a powerful and rare show that delights the ear with tantalizing funk grooves and soaring saxophone solos. Michelle Medler, Mieke Bruggeman, Mary-Sue Tobin, and Chelsea Luker combine original music with both new and standard arrangements for saxophone quartet (often plus bass and drums). The ensemble covers a broad spectrum of music ranging from original music to New Orleans style Jazz, to John Coltrane, to Tower of Power, to Eric Dolphy, to Astor Piazzola. In addition, the quartet’s repertoire includes Baroque and Contemporary forms.
The group continuously seeks out and creates new pieces for sax ensemble in all styles, and their performances add a unique and important dimension to the Portland music scene. Listen for yourself and hear how they seamlessly blend traditional and modern Jazz with arrangements of Rock, Pop, Funk and a splash of Classical saxophone quartet music. One night you might get up and dance at their funky New Orleans influenced show. On another night, you might witness them diving into the realm of John Cage.
Each member of this skilled ensemble holds a university degree in music, and is deeply involved in music. They are composers, arrangers, performers and educators. The Quadraphonnes are available for a variety of venues including clubs and festivals, weddings, corporate events, private parties, educational performances, clinics, recitals, recording sessions or as a horn section to compliment existing groups.
Well known locally, the Quadraphonnes have been featured on Portland radio stations KMHD 89.1fm & KBOO 91.5fm and at the following festivals:
Portland Jazz Festival
Waterfront Blues Festival
Mt Hood Jazz Festival
Portland International Film Festival
North American Saxophone Alliance
Portland Rose Festival
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
Silverton Jazz Festival
Washington Park Music Series
Portland Parks and Lake Oswego Music Series’
A Celebration of Chance and Listening: John Cage‘s 100th Birthday Celebration
Since their start in 2006-7, the Quads have toured Southern California, performed with Candye Kane, the Mambo Queens, Trio Subtonic, Miriam’s Well, The Tiptons, Felina's Arrow and Voodoo BBQ, among others. They comprise most of the sax section for The Lily Wilde Orchestra and are also a part of the NW Saxophone Collective and its large saxophone orchestra. They have headlined multiple times at Portland Jazz hotspots like Jimmy Mak’s and The Blue Monk. Their first CD, Music to Watch Girls By, was released in 2009. After receiving a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council in 2010, they successfully coordinated and produced the collaborative mixed-media event Tone-Color-Melody. In 2012, the performed at Mesa Community College in San Diego, CA and continued a performance tour with stops in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, and Redlands. Including a tour of the Rico reed factory!
The Quadraphonnes often showcase other talented female guest-musicians like Susie Jones and Janice Scroggins whenever they can. They also regularly incorporate a talented rhythm section with Leah Hinchcliff on bass and Ward Griffiths on drums, and they occasionally perform as a classical ensemble with Brandy Keehn on percussion.
Shows with Rhythm Section Include (6 Piece group):
-Groovin-Funky-New Orleans
-Jazz and Latin
-Classical-World Music-Original
-A Mix of Everything
Shows with Just 4 Saxes Include:
-Jazz-Funk-Latin
-Classical
-Avant Garde
-Holiday Music
-A Mix of Any Above
Multi-Media Show:
-Tone-Color-Melody
Mainly Original music written for the Quadraphonnes plus 2 cellos, percussion,
dancers and other performers with film and other mixed media.
INSTRUMENTATION:
MARY-SUE TOBIN Soprano and Alto Saxes
MICHELLE MEDLER Tenor Sax
MIEKE BRUGGEMAN-SMITH Baritone Sax
CHELSEA LUKER Soprano and Alto Saxes
Often performing with:
LEAH HINCHCLIFF Bass
WARD GRIFFITHS or MIKE SYNDER Drums or
BRANDY KEEHN Percussion / Drums
DISCOGRAPHY:
"Live on KMHD" 2008
"Music to Watch Girls By" 2009
IF, Just 4 Saxes - We can play just about anywhere that 4 sax players and 4 music stands will fit. Microphones may be necessary in some cases (very large areas), but are usually not needed.
IF 4 Saxes Bass & Drums - It is possible to play acoustically (no electricity), but we prefer to have electricity for the bass amp and in most cases a PA system with 6-10 working channels:
4 sax mics
2-4 vocal mics
Bass amp line out (when needed)
Drum mics (as needed).
We usually bring 3 clip-on mics & can provide other mics if needed. Other PA gear can be provided for a fee.
No specific lighting is necessary unless we are doing our mulitmedia performance. In general, it is best to have some light on stage so we can read music. We can provide clip-on music stand lights as needed.
A stage plot can be sent upon request.
Here are many of the tunes that we play categorized by style and need for rhythm section.
ROCK/FUNK/RnB (w/ rhythm section):
Dazed and Confused -Led Zeppelin
Don't You Worry About a Thing - Stevie Wonder
Holy Cow - Alan Toussaint
Hurricane Season - Trombone Shorty
Life On Mars - Davie Bowie
Only So Much Oil in the Ground - Tower of Power
Peaches en Regalia - Frank Zappa
Pick Up the Pieces
Plantation Inn -the Mar-keys
Soul Dream - Greyboy Allstars
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
Stay Away - The Meters
Tootie Ma
Use Me - Bill Withers
Who Loves You Pretty Baby - Four Seasons
You Know I'm No Good -Amy Winehouse
JAZZ (with Rhythm Section):
A Train (funky pdx version)
Bemsha Swing
Blue Pepper
Cantaloop Island
Chelsea Bells
Children's Song no. 5
Georgia on my Mind
Little Rootie Tootie - Thelonious Monk
When the Saints Go Marching In
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
LATIN (with or without Rhythm Section):
Afro Blue
Caravan
Monk-tuno -Paquito D'Rivera
Night in Tunisia
Two Cuban Dances
Wapango
CHAMBER JAZZ (no rhythm section needed, sometimes they are added)
4951 for Paul Robeson - Neil Leonard
Abide with Me
Swing - Gordon Goodwin
Hip Hop - Gordon Goodwin
Down By the Riverside
Elegy to Eric Dolphy - Paquito D'RIvera
Goodbye Porkpie Hat
The Grey Convoy - David Liebman
Lament - JJ Johnson
Maple Leaf Rag - Joplin
A Moody Time - David Liebman
Mr Syms - John Coltrane
Pink Panther
Sax Quartets by Bob Mintzer
Round Midnight
Segment - Charlie Parker
ORIGINAL MUSIC Written by or for the Quadraphonnes (most use rhythm section):
Contrafunktus IV - Eric Allen
Devil's Dance - Vocal funky latin by Chelsea Luker (Alto Sax)
Doina/zhok - Scott Stobbe
Es Tu Dia - Scott Stobbe
In Four Corners - An avant-gaarde graphic piece by Sarah Ann Phillips
Kyuchek #1 - Scott Stobbe
New Orleans Mood - NOLA Funky Jazz by Michelle Medler (Tenor Sax)
Phonne Phonk - southern funk by Leah Hinchcilff (Bass)
Under the Funk - Party Funk by Ben Medler (Bass sub)
What Could Possibly Go Wrong With a Manicure and Champagne? A true story by Mieke Bruggeman (Bari Sax)
CLASSICAL (no rhythm section / can add percussion to some of these):
Andante et Scherzo - Eugene Bozza
Four5 - John Cage
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair - Debussy
Le Grand Tango - Astor Piazzola
Messetschinko Lio Greilivko - Bulgarian Choir adaptation
Outdoor Music - Walter Hartley
Saxophone Quartet - Philip Glass
Tango Suite - Piazzola
Michelle Medler | Tenor Saxophone |
Mary-Sue Tobin | Soprano & Alto Saxophones |
Mieke Bruggeman | Baritone Saxophone |
Chelsea Luker | Soprano & Alto Saxophones |
Leah Hinchcliff | Bass |
Ward Griffiths | Drums |
Mike Snyder | Drums |
The Tiptons, The Rascher Quartet, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa, Trombone Shorty, Amy Winehouse, Paquito D'Rivera, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Astor Piazzola, Rebirth Brass Band, Tower of Power, David Bowie, Philip Glass, Gogol Bordello, Steve Swallow, Gordon Goodwin, Alan Toussaint, Bill Withers, Walter Hartley, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, The Meters, Stevie Wonder, Azymuth, Greyboy Allstars, Average White Band, David Liebman, Mongo Santamaria
Light (enough to read music)
0-6 microphones (see add'l notes/tech section)
Electricity for bass amp (if using bass)
Lori A. B. C. said “Groove Syndicate made our event incredible! Our crowd had nothing but great things to say! They’re very accommodating, engaging, and fun. We asked them…”
Morgan B. said “They were absolutely fantastic! My party had nothing but great things to say the whole night. Wow - they know how to put on a good show. 10/10 recommend!!”
Laura H. said “They were on time, they took many requests, and their music was fantastic. We will hire Jonathan and his band again!”
Kristin R. said “just what we needed for our event, JT is very personable and easy to work with”