Thursday June 12 * 7pm * $15-25
Skullcap Record Release Party - Snakes of Albuquerque (Cuneiform Records)
Skullcap’s cellist Janel Leppin, guitarist Anthony Pirog and percussionist Mike Kuhl promise a joyful and emotional escape just when we need it most!
Snakes of Albuquerque is the debut recording from the rock and jazz, free improvising, classically informed, adventurously rhythmic, and memorably tuneful power cello trio Skullcap. Just as the bands' namesake is defined by indigenous medicine, Skullcap is an herb used to ease depression and anxiety. A kind of road movie soundtrack, it twists through wild emotions, and as the album artwork shows, the music navigates wildly different terrain from Tennessee to Monterey.
"We have something to fight for. We can’t abandon this place or the people living here for all of its conflicts and challenges.” Leppin says as she reflects on the music being a voyage across the troubled United States. "This record is a way to step into our power as we meet this serious moment full on. We’ll need to access joy and courage moving forward and the music speaks to that."
Janel and Anthony met Mike while working in the DMV around fifteen years ago and have been working together in different contexts ever since. In 2013 Anthony’s sextet, which included Leppin and Kuhl, opened for a Capital Bop event presenting Peter Brotzmann and Joe McPhee at Union Arts. The three first met while being a part of Adam Hopkins' Out of Your Head Collective in 2010 where he put together random ensembles at monthly concerts in Baltimore. OOYH Collective included the likes of Susan Alcorn and jaimie branch. This is the environment where the three first became aware of one another’s skills as improvisers. Leppin recalls, “We always wanted to work with a drummer and thought of Mike as a powerhouse on drums. In fact, I’ve called him Mike "Hurricane" Kuhl for years. His style is so technically fluid and powerful. We were elated when he said he’d like to work with us."
The speed with which they compose and learn the pieces together shows a band working on all five cylinders. Each player is at the top of their game technically and creatively. They mention an intuition that is undeniable in their improvisation and while writing. They also discuss a willingness to connect with all aspects of their musical knowledge; and could be a reason Skullcap’s music is so hard to categorize.
The music tells a powerful and diverse story. Moving from the doom-laden cello feature ‘Snakes of Albuquerque’—into the calming and decidedly jazzy ‘Orange Sky’ is not, for instance, an obvious segue. “It doesn’t make any sense to me conceptually,” the guitarist concurs. “But when you know the arc of the record, it does, because it takes you through a series of feelings or moods or vibes.”
Snakes of Albuquerque is in a world all its own. The thing holding it all together is the trust each player has for each other’s abilities and creativity. "We believe in each other's ideas, interests and visions. This is a supportive environment.” says Leppin. The band hopes to take this same trip defined on the album artwork as a tour across the states in 2025-2026. "That would really complete our vision for this adventure of a record.”.
Kiyan and Teymour Saifi
Kiyan Saifi is an experimental guitarist who currently performs with DC-based bands: Red Sunflower, Opposite Tiger, Fateful Encounter, and Sense Memory. Teymour Saifi is a DC based bassist who currently performs with Red Sunflower, Opposite Tiger, Fateful Encounter, and Sense Memory.
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