John Medeski, Todd Clouser & Jorge Servin

BLUE STEM JAZZ PRESENTS | John Medeski is best known from the pioneering trio Medeski Martin & Wood, John Medeski is a boundary-pushing keyboardist whose soulful, avant-garde style has made him a fixture in jazz, funk, and experimental music worldwide.

Todd Clouser is a genre-defying guitarist and composer, Todd Clouser blends jazz, rock, and psychedelia into raw, emotional soundscapes. Based between Mexico and the U.S., he’s led acclaimed projects including A Love Electric and collaborations with legends from both sides of the border.

Jorge Servin is an explosive young drummer from Mexico City, Jorge Servin fuses jazz, rock, and Latin rhythms with fearless precision. A rising voice in international creative music, he’s collaborated with artists across genres and continents.

Equally comfortable behind a Steinway grand piano, Hammond organ or any number of vintage keyboards, Medeski is a highly sought after improviser and band leader whose projects range from work with John Zorn, The Word (Robert Randolph, North Mississippi Allstars), Phil Lesh, Don Was, John Scofield, Coheed & Cambria, Susana Baca, Sean Lennon, Marc Ribot, Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and many more. Classically trained, Medeski grew up in Ft.Lauderdale, FL where as a teenager he played with Jaco Pastorius before heading north to attend the New England Conservatory. He released his first solo piano record, A Different Time, on Sony’s Okeh Records in 2013, and current projects include a new album in the works with his band MadSkillet (Terrence Higgins, Kirk Joseph, Will Bernard), and HUDSON (a collaboration with Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield & Larry Grenadier), plus a documentary on Medeski Martin & Wood.

Todd Clouser is a dynamic guitarist, composer, songwriter, and performer whose genre-defying music blends rock, jazz, blues, spoken word, and improvisation. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Clouser has made Mexico City his home, immersing himself in its vibrant creative scene while forging a global presence through relentless touring and prolific output. Hailed by NPR as “a fascinating musician” who “doesn’t belong to any scene and doesn’t want to,” Clouser’s work is marked by its adventurous spirit and cross-cultural collaboration, earning praise from outlets like Time Out NYC and Mexico City’s La Jornada, which called his band A Love Electric “one of the most important acts of recent years.”As the leader of A Love Electric, a critically acclaimed power trio with bassist Aaron Cruz and drummer Hernan Hecht (later Jorge Servín), Clouser has released seven albums across labels in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. The band’s explosive sound—described as “power psych, punk jazz, post-genre, freak rock” (Vive Latino)—has fueled over 1,000 performances across four continents, from rock festivals to jazz clubs, alongside luminaries like John Medeski, Cyro Baptista, and Billy Martin. Their albums, including *Psychmonde* and *Son of a Hero* (Ropeadope Records), showcase Clouser’s ability to channel 1970s rock heroics, avant-garde flourishes, and introspective songcraft into a singular, high-energy experience.Clouser’s virtuosity as a guitarist extended to his role with Klezmerson, a Yiddish-Mexican klezmer-rock ensemble. Performing compositions by John Zorn, he recorded for Tzadik Records on albums like *Book of Angels: Amon* and *The Book of Beriah*. His work with Klezmerson brought him to prestigious stages, including **The Village Vanguard** in New York City and **Masada Marathons** in Sarajevo and Vienna, where he shared the stage with avant-garde giants like Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell. These experiences, Clouser notes, were transformative, deepening his approach to music and collaboration.Based in Mexico City since 2011, Clouser has become a cultural ambassador, bridging musical communities through his leadership of Ropeadope Sur, a Mexico City-based imprint of Ropeadope Records. Founded with Hernan Hecht, Ropeadope Sur amplifies independent Latin American artists, with releases like Los Cardencheros de Sapioriz’s a cappella recordings and La Pingo’s Orquesta’s *Midwest/Bajio*. Clouser’s vision for the label reflects his commitment to fostering creative and economic viability for artists in Mexico and beyond. He also co-edited *Musicians in Mexico City Vol. 1 and 2*, a book project documenting the city’s thriving music scene, further cementing his role as a chronicler of its cultural pulse.Through his nonprofit Music Mission, Clouser channels his passion for community outreach, donating instruments, education materials, workshops, and support to underserved communities in Mexico (Oaxaca, Chiapas, Mexico City, Durango) and Nicaragua. This initiative, alongside his organization of events like the Lakeside Guitar Festival in Minnesota, underscores his belief in music’s power to connect and uplift across borders.Clouser’s extensive discography includes solo projects like Man With No Country (Amulet Records) and The Mexico City Experiment(Ropeadope, 2023), a vibrant tribute to his adopted city featuring collaborators like Germán Bringas and Erik Deutsch. His tireless work ethic, shaped by his recovery from addiction, has fueled collaborations with artists from Flea to Keb’ Mo and performances at venues from Japan to Patagonia. Whether shredding fuzzed-out riffs, penning poetic narratives, or advocating for independent artists, Todd Clouser remains a restless innovator, weaving stories and sounds that transcend genre and geography.

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