I'm currently involved in a wide variety of different projects. See Bio. The current music tracks up our not very recent but more to come soon I promise.
You're the First- written and performed by Hogs of Change (Geller/Lipp).
Traditional Ghanaian Xylophone Piece (with improvisation)-performed by Ezra Lipp.
The Yellow Rose of Texas- written by VJ Guarino, performed by Pale Morning Dun (VJ Guarino, Tom Wright, Katie Trautz, Ezra Lipp).
Born and raised in Dartmouth, Massachussetts/Providence, Rhode Island, Ezra Lipp began his musical journey at a young age when he discovered that his two hands, when slapped moderately on the body fat below his chest, produced a warm, hollow and positively percussive sound that he began experimenting with in order to provide accompanying rhythm for his favorite songs, both on the radio and in his head. Throughout the years, Ezra has developed and expanded his self dubbed brand of "tummy drumming", which has lead him on a heartfelt and unending study of music and percussion from around the planet. This has included jazz drumset (alongside many other styles), Afro-Cuban, Latin, and Brazilian percussion, North Indian classical music (tabla), West African drumming and xylophone, Western classical orchestral percussion (snare drum, marimba, tympani), Middle Eastern hand percussion, Appalachian and Eastern European folk music, as well as piano, guitar, vibraphone, banjo, and vocals.
Presently Ezra Lipp now lives in California's beautiful and bountiful Bay Area where he relocated from Vermont in the summer of 06' to continue his tabla and North Classical Indian music studies at The Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael and expand his musical horizons. Currently and most consistently during his time here he has made music as a full time member in the avant folk-fusion band StitchCraft, which is currently hard at work on their sophomore full length album due out this summer. He is also currently honing a new frenetic sound with good friend/pianist/organist/saxman/accordionist/percussionist Ofir Uziel in "Here's Rusty", and most recently began working with local indie-folk pop legend Sean Hayes who he will be backing on a northwest tour this summer. Since his move to San Francisco, Ezra has also been keeping busy working with/recording/performing (both long or short term) with many amazing and eclectic artists and groups spanning many genres from hard hitting indie rock to delicate singer songwriter, Latin reggae to jazz/funk fusion and more: Kacey Johansing, Thao Nguyen (of the Get Down Stay Down), Manicato, Sonya Cotton Band, Surprise Me Mr. Davis (The Slip + Nathan Moore), CAKE, The Du-Uy Quintet, Boy in the Bubble, Members of Big Light, Geographer, The Blank Tapes, Members of the Moanin' Dove, The Buckthorn Brothers, and others. But there were many roads to lead up to this current juncture...
In 2001 he moved from South-Eastern Mass to the fine state of Vermont where he studied music at the University of Vermont. During his time there he got to work and perform with many prominent artists such as Paquito D'Rivera, Ray Vega, Mike Gordon, and The Rhode Island Philharmonic. He also was a decisive member of groups such as the Appalachian Folk Fusion band Sugarblue which traveled and performed all over Vermont for much of 05/06 (and in 2006 released a full length debut album entitled Low Star and Deep Snow available at sugarblueband.com), the raw and raucous Buckingham Phallus (AKA Pinkham and Deer Lipps), and VJ Guarino's unsung but very noteworthy Pale Morning Dun whom with he recorded and released the debut record - Daylight Staging - in 2006. Ezra also worked as freelance artist and played in the local jazz scene with heavy cats such as Alex Toth and Kalmia Traver (John Brown's Body, Rubblebucket Orchestra, The Lazybirds), and many members of the unstoppable funk/soul unit The Soulvation Army. All that aside, perhaps Ezra's most outstanding and significant project during his residency in Vermont, and the one that remains, still piping warm, temporarily tucked away in his heart, was his illustrious collaboration with pianist/composer/housemate/soulmate Eli Geller and the turbulent but unwavering ebb and flow of the musical journey that has been their joint brainchild love rock duo "Hogs of Change". Although Lipp and Geller both agree there are very few existing recordings (if any, both studio or live) that truly capture the magic present with this fated pair and their musical offerings, and HOC our currently on a temporary yet indefinite hiatus, rest assured it won't be too much longer before "the hogs are let out of the pen" and this dynamic duo bursts back on the scene full force. Stay Tuned!
Anywho, if this is actually Ezra writing from the third person, he thanks you very kindly for visiting his myspace page and reading all of this and hopes you enjoy your stay! For a complete bio read above. Feel free to check out some music (although currently outdated, more to come soon), leave a comment, browse the photos, of course check out the musical links in his top friends both Ezra-related and not, or even send a personal message if the spirit moves you! Ezra would also like to relate that although he acknowledges from many perspectives that it may seem like an inevitably dying world we've got here, he believes there is still much hope and prosperity available for the human race and the universe at large, and that love will ultimately guide us to a peaceful, harmonious, and extremely exciting evolution, so keep that in mind if so inclined during your day today! That's all for now. Muchas Gracias! - Ezra (from the third person).
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Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey returns to the Bay Area for 3 shows this week!
Wed. 6/17 - Elbo Room - SF,CA
Thurs. 6/18 - Starry Plough - Berkeley,CA
Fri. 6/19 - Starry Plough - Berkeley,CA (w/Antioquia!)
hey Ez, life is well... just riding the swells. yes good memories of sailing with you! i miss the farm, but the city feels like home too. we'll see what happens next. anything new with you? hope you have a good new year!
I hope you can make it out to our New Year's Eve Ball 2009 with Armand van Helden in Houston Wednesday, Dec. 31st at Bar Rio! Texas' Largest NYE show. Tickets are super cheap right now if you buy them early. We also have Deep Dish (Sharam) playing Jan. 9th at Rich's. See you soon!
whats up kid? i'm listening to The Leisure Society...which is a band I let you listen to when I came to your pad. I'm sitting in a cafe w/my headphones on, wishing it was some muddy type coffee shop musically, you know? it's got the look, just not the music to go with it right now, I guess! Sometimes they do though. So how's your music scene going? I think the slip are playing in Hollywood real soon...I'm thinking of going. I miss you Ez!!!! Let me know what's up w/u sometime soon! luvJame
Hey we have a really great show coming up September 19 at Broadway Studios San Francisco. Come check us out... We really love to put on a great show for you in a really great venue. Live 105 as well as other SF Radio Stations will be in attendance. Come check us out. Music starts at 9:00, Tickets sold online at: acteva. com/go/bandsonbroadway. We will be sticking around before and after the show so come have drinks with us! Great venue in North Beach. Cheers!
