Mostly Other People Do the Killing
Encyclopedia
Mostly Other People Do the Killing is a jazz
quartet based in New York City
including trumpeter Peter Evans
, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist Moppa Elliott, and drummer Kevin Shea. The group formed in 2003 and has released three albums to date on Elliott's Hot Cup label including an eponymous debut, Shamokin!!!, and This Is Our Moosic. The latter two albums feature cover art that parodies classic albums by Art Blakey and Ornette Coleman
.
Jon Irabagon was the winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone competition, and has released his first album on the Concord Records
label. In 2009, Mostly Other People Do the Killing was voted the winner of the 57th Annual Downbeat Critics' Poll in the Rising Star Ensemble category. Evans, Irabagon, and Elliott were also included in the poll in the respective categories of Rising Star Trumpet, Rising Star Alto Saxophone, and Rising Star Composer.
Bandleader Moppa Elliott met Peter Evans while both were students at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
. Upon relocating to New York City, Elliott met Jon Irabagon through guitarist Jon Lundbom at the Manhattan School of Music
and Kevin Shea through Mary Halvorson
. MOPDtK performs compositions by Elliott, all of which are named after towns in his native Pennsylvania
. Performances often take the form of large suites in which the group transitions between original pieces and jazz standards, often employing theatrics and elements of rock, pop, and classical music.
Mostly Other People Do the Killing performed at the 2009 Moers Festival and has toured in both the U.S. and Europe. Their albums Shamokin!!! and This Is Our Moosic were both included in critics' Top 10 albums of the year.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
quartet based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
including trumpeter Peter Evans
Peter Evans (musician)
Peter Evans is an American trumpet player based in New York, who specializes in improvisation and avant-garde music. Evans has been a member of the New York City musical community since 2003, when he moved to the city after graduating from The Oberlin Conservatory of Music...
, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist Moppa Elliott, and drummer Kevin Shea. The group formed in 2003 and has released three albums to date on Elliott's Hot Cup label including an eponymous debut, Shamokin!!!, and This Is Our Moosic. The latter two albums feature cover art that parodies classic albums by Art Blakey and Ornette Coleman
This Is Our Music (Ornette Coleman album)
This Is Our Music is a free jazz album by saxophonist Ornette Coleman, recorded in 1960 and originally released in 1961. It is especially notable as Coleman's only Atlantic recording to feature a standard – an unorthodox version of "Embraceable You" – and as the only album to feature...
.
Jon Irabagon was the winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone competition, and has released his first album on the Concord Records
Concord Records
Concord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
label. In 2009, Mostly Other People Do the Killing was voted the winner of the 57th Annual Downbeat Critics' Poll in the Rising Star Ensemble category. Evans, Irabagon, and Elliott were also included in the poll in the respective categories of Rising Star Trumpet, Rising Star Alto Saxophone, and Rising Star Composer.
Bandleader Moppa Elliott met Peter Evans while both were students at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
. Upon relocating to New York City, Elliott met Jon Irabagon through guitarist Jon Lundbom at the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
and Kevin Shea through Mary Halvorson
Mary Halvorson
Mary Halvorson is a guitarist from Boston, Massachusetts, currently living in Brooklyn, NY. She is a 2002 graduate of Wesleyan University. She has performed with many artists, including Anthony Braxton, Jessica Pavone, Taylor Ho Bynum and Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant. As of 2008, she leads a trio...
. MOPDtK performs compositions by Elliott, all of which are named after towns in his native Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Performances often take the form of large suites in which the group transitions between original pieces and jazz standards, often employing theatrics and elements of rock, pop, and classical music.
Mostly Other People Do the Killing performed at the 2009 Moers Festival and has toured in both the U.S. and Europe. Their albums Shamokin!!! and This Is Our Moosic were both included in critics' Top 10 albums of the year.
External links
- http://www.hotcuprecords.com/mopdtk_bio.html