We are a big community of musicians, including: Gregg Mervine (snare drum, percussion, composer/arranger), Jack Ohly (accoustic bass, tapan, voice, composer), Ashley Deekus (percussion), Maura Diberardinis and Janos Perge (violins, voices), Jacob Mitas (viola), Patrick Hughes, Adam Hershberger, Dawn Webster (trumpets), Elliott Levin (saxophones, flute, piccolo), Larry Goldfinger (clarinet), Brendan Cooney (banjo-cimbalom, trombone, composer/arranger), Larry Toft (trombone, composer/arranger), Dan Blacksberg (trombone), Steve Duffy (sousaphone, hand claps), Petia Zamfirova (voice, accordion?). Sometimes/once with us: Shinjoo Cho (accordion), Amnon Friedlin (accordian, guitar), Rachel Lemisch (trombone), Jason Rosenblatt (harmonica), Amy Zakar (fiddle), Yoni Mazuz (tenor sax).
Influences
Mainly you, those of you who come out to our shows and dance, sing along, and laugh; and those who tell us what moves them, what they like about us, and so forth. We learned tunes and techniques from these artists, and were of course very inspired by them as well: Taraf de Haidouks, Bakije Bakic, Kocani Orkestar, Romica Puceaunu, Maria Tanase, Simion Stanciu, Goran Bregovic, Boban Marcovic, Slobodon Salejevic, Etrapole Brass Band, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Balogh Kalman, Toni Iordachi, Muszikas, Romashka, Slavic Soul Party, The Klez Dispensers, Frank London, Zlatne Uste, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Raymond Scott, Gustav Mahler, Bela Bartok, Franz Liszt, Leos Janacek, George Gershwin, and so on.
Get on the official e-mail list - email us at westphiladelphiaorchestra@gmail.com Check out our blog: http://www.westphiladelphiaorchestra.blogspot.com/
From a casual jam session among friends in Fall of 2006 on a West Philly porch to sizzling dance parties, debaucherous rock concerts, and international music festivals in 2009, West Philadelphia Orchestra, a brass band with musical roots in Eastern Europe, is a band that simply happened. There was no premeditated vision, no DNA, but rather our existence preceded our essence. Stewarded by percussionist/composer Gregg Mervine, WPO is an assemblage of eclectic Philadelphia musicians from a variety of backgrounds; Dawn Webster was a strictly classical trumpeter before she found WPO, while Patrick Hughes and Adam Hershberger were serious jazz players; Jack Ohly writes beautiful songs for voice and upright bass, and plays Brazilian music (Old Goats); and some of us had not much musical experience, like Janos Perge, who was doing neuroscience research and hadn't played violin in 10 years before he joined the band.
As we evolve, improvise, and explore other sounds and rhythms, we're incorporating broader influences like dancehall, klezmer, Turkish music, and jazz - especially the spirit of Sun Ra (the northwest Philly Arkestra). With the voices of Jack Ohly and Petia Zamfirova, the screaming sax of Elliott Levin, the barbaric yawps of Jim Parker's sousaphone, and the compositional ingenuity of percussionist Gregg Mervine and tenor horn players Larry Toft and Brendan Cooney, we're creating a unique sound that captures the many feelings of life. Our repertoire includes classic Romanian songs made famous by Romica Puceanu, Bulgarian wedding music, classic Serbian and Roma songs, as well as re-visioned jazz tunes, some old world klezmer songs, and original tunes that stretch traditional harmony (ala Bartok). This mixture can be heard on our debut release, 'WPO,' self-released in Oct. 2008, and a new record is in the works.
'Overflowing joy' and 'reckless abandon' are we aim to achieve with our music. We open your ears with our compositions, arrangements, and improvisations, AND we get you dancing. We have played rock shows with Gogol Bordello, Dr. Dog, Dengue Fever, and Stinking Lizaveta; folk/world music concerts in association with Traditional Crossroads Music Series and the Philly Folk Song Society; the Ollin Kan radical world music festival of Mexico City; etc. In the some week that we opened for Gogol Bordello, we also played a concert with a proper chamber orchestra, Camerata Orchestra, which was nearly too surreal a juxtaposition, but both performances were just right, though the music was basically the same.
WPO will play happy music for weddings, bittersweet music for funerals, at Carnegie Hall, defiant music for protests, soundtracks to silent films (Battleship Potemkin was a huge success and we'll do it again soon!), silly music for children, road music for motorcycle conventions, rhythm tracks for Mavado, and sexy music for burlesque. This summer, the group will perform at the Noreastr Festival in Mio, MI, Ann Arbor's Top of the Park Festival, Bethlehem Musikfest, the Philly Folk Fest, and numerous street parties, clubs, and parks throughout the region. Their monthly dance parties at Tritone have become a Philly institution.
Email all inquiries to westphiladelphiaorchestra@gmail.com
Hi!!! yeah we saw you at ollin kan press conference unfortunately we couldn't see your full show because of the cancellation of the festival, but hopefully you can come soon so we can dance with your music and play together. Saludos desde México y Buena Vibra!!!
COME JOIN US OPEN MIC IN THE TEMPLE U AREA MONDAY JUNE 22, 2009 THE NEW BARBERS HALL BROAD AND OXFORD STS 9PM TO 2AM ENTRY FREE TILL 10PM OR $7...2/$10 WITH LIVE BAND HOSTED BY PAMELA KNIGHT COME SHARE SOME BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH BILL SINGERS, SPOKEN WORD, DANCERS, COMEDIANS, MUSICIANS
Best of all, moving into my new house means you're a' going to be my neighbor (gregg)! Can't wait to hang out on my roof and listen to y'all practice dem sweet dance tunes!
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens & Fire Museum Present:
Summer Solstice Festival 2
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
1020-22 South Street, Philadelphia
Sunday, June 21st 2-10PM
$7
Musical Performances by:
Galata Ensemble
Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble
Oubliette Ensemble
Niagara Falls
The Rit Mo Collective
Lenny Seidman (with tabla & sitar choirs)
Eric Carbonara
Jesse Sparhawk
Reid Books
Join us for a day of inspired musical offerings and other feats of wonder to bring on the Summer Solstice.
In addition to the musical offerings, the day is accentuated by acrobatic performances by Fly Girls and Fearless Hyenas Stunts, along with poetry readings by Helen Tinsley, shadow puppet projections by Erik Ruin and and a live wood burning art demonstration by Jeramie Bellmay. Dances by Sheila Zagar, and the Kun-Yang Lin Dancers.
Wooohaaaaa!!! Braindrop is throwing its very first boat party on Saturday 6 June.
The vessel is specially equipped to hold large groups of people (and all the extra bass bins we can squeeze on). Her name is The Dutch Master and she be a mighty fine boat too!
It's going to be a ridiculously fun rinse up. However, if you think you can get away with being remotely serious and/or cool at this party - ye be mistaken. The Braindrop Boat Rave is fancy dress: Pirate's from the 80's. Arrgh...better get thinkin what ye gonna wear.
D&B / DUBSTEP / TECHNO / BREAKS / ELECTRO / HARDCORE / HIP HOP / GABBA / BREAKCORE / PSYTRANCE / RAVE... and lots more!
The boat will leave St.Katharines Pier (London) at 9pm and return at 2am. Tickets are £20 and you can get them from TICKETWEB.
it's such a pity some of the dates had to be cancelled but still, you were amazing the 23th at ollin kan. good luck and hope you'll be back to mexico very soon. claudia.
CALLING ALL SINGERS, MUSICIANS, BANDS, SPOKEN WORD ARTIST
WITH PAMELA KNIGHT AND THE KNIGHT TIME PLAYERS
NEW OPEN MIC AT CLUB 121
3500 WHARTON ST PHILLY 10PM TO 1AM ENTRY IS FREE
