The RANDY ARMSTRONG TRIO
featuring Volker Nahrmann and Jose Duque
New Acoustic / World Fusion / Jazz

Always on the absolute cutting edge of the musical world, the Randy Armstrong Trio featuring Volker Nahrmann and Jose Duque perform original World Fusion Music and Contemporary Jazz. While some people talk about “one world” and “understanding all cultures”, the Randy Armstrong Trio lives this concept with their in-depth study and presentation of music drawn from sources as diverse as mainstream American jazz, Native American flute playing, West African drumming and North Indian sitar motifs – all blended by the ingenious combination of acoustic, high-tech, synthesized technology.

And this is just for starters: Armstrong, Nahrmann, and Duque will perform on over 25 traditional and ethnic instruments from around the world. Randy Armstrong has been signed to the Los Angeles and Tokyo based DOMO Record label with distribution by IDN and Alliance Entertainment Group. The trio performances will include music from guitarist/percussionist Randy Armstrong's new solo album, NO REGRETS, featuring a stunning array of eleven songs including a new arrangement of the Miles Davis classic "Blue in Green". The PORTSMOUTH HERALD stated, "No Regrets is a strong musical statement from a musician whose playing has defied categorization throughout most of his career. Whether it be on guitar, sitar, wood flute or various percussion instruments, Armstrong takes the listener on a sonic joyride from start to finish."

Click names to jump down to bios for Volker Nahrmann and Jose Duque.

The ARMSTRONG•NAHRMANN GROUP
featuring Dana Oakes, Steve Ferraris and Jose Duque
World Music/Jazz Ensemble

Guitarist/percussionist Randy Armstrong of DOAH World Music Ensemble and German bassist/keyboardist Volker Nahrmann perform original compositions on over 50 traditional and ethnic instruments from around the world blended with synthesizers and high-tech interfaces. Formerly known as UNU MONDO, their music incorporates the sensibilities of West African, North Indian, Brazilian, and Caribbean sounds and rhythms blended into a fusion of contemporary jazz and world music. As a pioneer in cross-cultural world music, Randy holds a degree in composition and world music studies with 9 nationally released albums including the score and double CD box-set for the 4-part PBS series, Dinner on the Diner on the Ellipsis Arts/Ryko label. Randy Armstrong has been hailed as "a sure-fingered guitar virtuoso" by the BOSTON GLOBE and a "virtuoso of versatility" by NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE.

Volker Nahrmann is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with additional studies in Graz, Austria and Frankfurt, Germany in jazz and classical performance. THE BOSTON PHOENIX stated "Nahrmann's hypnotic solo nearly stopped the show". Performing as a quintet featuring Marty Quinn on drums and tabla and percussionist Steve Ferraris with special guest Dana Oakes on trumpet, they have been earning critical acclaim and ever-widening audience enthusiasm. "One of the hottest world music bands in the country" (The Patriot News). "Ridiculously talented…" (Metroland).

Dana Oakes is one of Boston's busiest trumpet players. He is a member of the Boston Ballet Orchestra, Boston Musica Viva, Boston Philharmonic and the New Hampshire Symphony. He has performed with the Boston Symphony and Pops and was solo trumpet in Gunther Schuller's New England Ragtime Ensemble. Dana is on the faculty at MIT, Boston Conservatory and St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, and was a featured soloist on the soundtrack of the PBS series, Dinner on the Diner.

Percussionist Steve Ferraris has performed with such jazz artists as Charlie Haden, Sun Ra, George Garzone, Michael Ray and James Spaulding. He has toured in the US and Europe and performed with his group, Rootsystem Percussion Trio at the Urbino Jazz Festival and the Jazz on '98 Festival in Italy. Steve has conducted percussion clinics at Dartmouth College and the University of Vermont as well as artist-in-residence programs throughout New England.

Venezuelan percussionist/drummer Jose Duque is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston with studies at the "Escuela de Musica Ars Nova" with Cuban master Ruben "Tuti" Jimenez. He has performed with "Amaya: Flamenco sin Limites" and with Venezuelan pop artist Felix Roman, and concerts with Juan Francisco, Roldan Pena's Jazz 3 and Flamenco y Duende. Jose has recorded and produced CDs for the latin jazz groups ZUMBAO TRIO and CORA SON. Website: www.zumbaotrio.com

ARMSTRONG & AICHELE

In 1992, Randy Armstrong and Genevieve Aichele began collaborating as Armstrong & Aichele, a performance ensemble which merges music, movement, storytelling and theatre to animate timeless stories that appeal to audiences of all ages. Together they perform World Tales, with music played on traditional instruments from all over the globe -- the Native American flute, the African djembe drum, and the North Indian sitar, just to name a few.

The stories include traditional favorites like "Anansi the Spider" and original retellings of ancient myths. World Tales performances and A Mosaic of Music & Stories from Around the World, the album of the show, have won rave reviews all over the country.

Working as Artists-in-Residence at dozens of schools and community organizations throughout New England, Armstrong & Aichele have been the recipients of numerous grants from the NH State Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Available for concerts, workshops and residencies. Check out the Armstrong & Aichele Web site.