Press Release: Rhythm Future Quartet at Cotuit Center for the Arts

The Rhythm Future Quartet returns to Cotuit Center for the Arts with their own brand of dynamic and lyrical arrangements of Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions on Saturday, November 10, at 7:30 PM.

The Rhythm Future Quartet is an acoustic jazz ensemble with a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and flourishing in today’s musical environment. The internationally acclaimed quartet of young virtuoso musicians, named for a tune by Gypsy jazz legend Django Reinhardt, offers up a distinctive sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary.

Led by violinist Jason Anick and guitarist Oli Soikkeli, the quartet draws upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rouke on second guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of this vital musical genre.

The quartet’s newest album, “Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends,” released in October 2018, features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, Brazil’s top bandolimist, Hamilton de Holanda, and Gypsy guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg.

While maintaining the effervescent lilt, virtuosic musicianship and adventurous musical leanings of their previous recordings, “Rhythm Future Quartet” and “Travels” (which was picked as one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and the Huffington Post), “RFQ and Friends” brings vibrant new colors to the mix.

With its arresting blend of Hot Club of France-styled string jazz, Brazilian and East European idioms, original compositions and hints of classical music, “RFQ and Friends” marks a significant moment in the growth of the continuously evolving ensemble.

The quartet’s version of Django’s "Minor Swing" has over four million views on YouTube, while their video clip of "Bushwick Stomp" from “Travels” has over three million Facebook views.

Anick, an award-winning composer and one of the youngest violin professors at Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists, including Grammy award-winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel.

After relocating from Scandinavia, Soikkeli became a top call guitarist in the bustling Brooklyn jazz scene. He has performed alongside Cyrille Aimee and the celebrated guitarists Frank Vignola and Bucky Pizzarelli, and many prominent contemporary players.

O’Rourke was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, and, at 22, has toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy jazz musicians, including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has performed with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone.

Tickets are $30, $25 for balcony seating. There is a $5 discount for members and a $2 discount for seniors and veterans. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669.

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What:

Rhythm Future Quartet

Where:

Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit

When:

Saturday, November 10, 7:30 PM

Admission:

$30, $25 for balcony seating. There is a $5 discount for members and a $2 discount for seniors and veterans.

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