Tag Archives: Amy Denio

Saluti A Tutti! This is Kultur Shock, we’re a Seattle-based gypsy punk band…culture shock…?!

unnamedText by Amy Denio (Kultur Shock member)

We all survived the Kultur Shock: Heaven and Hell Tour of November/December 2013 with limps, scrapes, a mashed fingertip, various pitched coughs (depending on size of chest cavity), enduring lots of ice & cold and Saso guiding us through dicey driving conditions (thanks Santa Marta for all you do for us).
But more importantly every concert was amazing, we met the next young generation of music lovers, orgonite was in positive evidence.  Other high points:  security guards surrounded me when I filmed a CPR video in the foyer of a Health Clinic waiting to meet my friends (no arrest), plus I inadvertently broke and entered a man’s apartment in Mostar looking for a toilet ~ he kindly offered me coffee (no arrest).
This short tour created more beautiful memories than one could ever imagine.  18 concerts in 21 days, spanning France, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary and Romania. See photos & videos to the right…

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The 10th release by the The Tiptones Saxophone Quartet (plus drums)!!!

CD review by Matt Cole

Artist: The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet
Title: Strange Flower
Cat.#: 884501405928
Label: Zipa! / Spoot Music
Genre: Jazz/Balkan Beat
Listen to and buy the CD

Strange Flower, recorded in June of 2010 and dropped this winter, is the 10th release by the The Tiptones Saxophone Quartet  (plus drums), the 6th since the band reformed in 2002, and the 2nd featuring the band’s current lineup of, Amy Denio  (alto sax, clarinet, voice),  Jessica Lurie  (alto & tenor sax, voice), Sue Orfield  (tenor sax, voice), and Tina Richerson (baritone sax, voice). Chris Stromquist (of Kultur Shock, Slavic Soul Party, and other fame) holds down the drums on this album.

The Tiptons are named for Billy Tipton, a successful big band saxophone player, pianist, and band leader who was born a woman but dressed and then lived as a man, in order to play the music that he loved without being relegated to novelty acts; except for a few family members and friends, most of Tipton’s friends and musical collaborators did not learn of his anatomical gender until after his death.

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Four Women In Action

Texts by Jim Hoey and Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Recently in New York City, listeners at places like The Stone and the Galapagos Art Space experienced a fresh wave of female artists passing through, artists that bring unique energy to their instruments and come ready to explore and expand on the vision they’ve formulated over time. The four women in action that are highlighted here are a sample of what you can encounter when you happen upon musicians that are definitely well along on their own artistic road, fighting to make a new sound, presenting a complete, challenging vision for your ears and eyes.

(courtesy of Helga Davis)

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