Charged Particles and Lynn Vavreck @ Upstairs at Vitello's

The most exciting and creative music being made today crosses stylistic boundaries and blends multiple traditions to create vital new sounds. Charged Particles features three of the country’s virtuosos doing just that for in the electric jazz arena. Murray Low is a keyboard wizard whose dazzling Latin-jazz technique and imaginative improvisational skills boggle the mind.

Jason Muscat is an inventive and sophisticated electric bassist. Along with fiery drummer Jon Krosnick, these players are making some of the most electrifying jazz in the country today.The trio’s repertoire blends jazz styles with elements from Latin music, classical music, funk, and more. The group’s original compositions are mixtures of elaborate orchestration and opportunities for creative improvised solos. They bring a similar approach to playing arrangements of jazz standards, with a fresh twist.

All of the trio’s music has a distinctly acoustic sensibility, despite the fact that the members play both electric and acoustic instruments. The group’s small size allows for great sensitivity and spontaneity among the players, making each performance an enchanting improvisational exploration. The band’s energy level is always high, even when they are cooking at a volume no louder than a whisper, or floating through the melody of a romantic ballad. Each piece they play brims with the fun the players have together and with the admiration they have for each other. Charged Particles are a treat to hear!

Twenty years ago, Charged Particles made its public debut on National Public Radio’s live performance program, “Detroit Jazz Alive”, originating in Detroit, Michigan.

Performances since then have been at festivals and clubs around the world. In 1994, Charged Particles released its first compact disk, and a second CD, “Sparks”, was released in 2002. Both CDs have received airplay on hundreds of radio stations and have been written up in publications as far away as England, Denmark, and Japan. “Sparks” was named one of the eight “must-hear” jazz releases of 2002 by The Other Paper, and the opening track from “Sparks” was included on the “Jazziz on Disc” sampler CD mailed to 85,000 subscribers of Jazziz Magazine in March, 2003.

Of the band, reviewers have said:
“An electrifying, push-the-limits performance style… A tight and enormously talented trio.”
-Jazz Times Magazine

“Charged Particles is definitely dazzling.”
- Jazz and Blues Report

“Fresh, energized contemporary jazz that showcases the trio’s individual technical mastery as well as a cooperative, refined approach to the art form.”
- Jazz News Magazine

“What dynamic music it is! A superb example of musical artistry at its best.”
-This Week

“Tight interplay was the watchword as the threesome took difficult fusion themes and applied its own twists with spark and personal flair.”
- Los Angeles Times

“A fusion of disparate elements, grounded in a valid aesthetic, and played passionately with a high degree of professionalism.”
- Midwest Jazz

“I was amazed at the sophisticated musicianship of these very talented and dexterous musicians.”
-Agenda Newsmonthly

“The trio’s execution of difficult compositions often is breathtaking, fans of this type of music should not be disappointed.”
-The Columbus Dispatch

“Smart, intricately arranged tunes. Beatkeepers all, they add swing to every track.”
-The Columbus Guardian

Murray Low, keyboards
Jason Muscat, bass
Jon Krosnick, drums
and Lynn Vavreck