Rent Romus

“One way to say he is “incomparable” is to say that sometimes he recalls for me Oliver Lake, then Charles Parker in the next moment, then Roscoe Mitchell, with fleeting melodic runs a al Ornette Coleman. The players I just mentioned are so radically unlike one another that to hear all of that and more in Romus’ playing is to declare his uniqueness.” - Richard Gilman-Opalsky author/journalist, Activator Magazine USA

"Indeed, Romus and associates have reached a milestone with this top-notch outing that defies strict categorizations when considering bridges between free improvisation and modern progressive jazz. It's a seamless incorporation of the best of many worlds." - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz review of Rising Colossus 2016

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“One way to say he is “incomparable” is to say that sometimes he recalls for me Oliver Lake, then Charles Parker in the next moment, then Roscoe Mitchell, with fleeting melodic runs a al Ornette Coleman. The players I just mentioned are so radically unlike one another that to hear all of that and more in Romus’ playing is to declare his uniqueness.” - Richard Gilman-Opalsky author/journalist, Activator Magazine USA

"Indeed, Romus and associates have reached a milestone with this top-notch outing that defies strict categorizations when considering bridges between free improvisation and modern progressive jazz. It's a seamless incorporation of the best of many worlds." - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz review of Rising Colossus 2016

"...sounds to me like what Charlie Parker should have sounded like if he was really as great as they say." -Tom Hull, The Best Jazz Albums of 2014

"Romus has been central to the creative music world of the West Coast for a number of years, and he keeps stretching the boundaries of originality with each new release." - Frank Rubolino onefinalnote.com/Cadence

"Romus' sax rekindles that flame egregiously, thematic sketches becoming instant excuses for the instruments to coalesce into a gruelling mass of Pollockian sonic painting that plumps on the brain and self-adjusts until your synapses are completely disjointed."  - Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes

"Rent Romus and his Sax are the rudder, guiding the way....his frenzied summersaults lead the band ever upwards towards the sky." - Tobias Fischer, Tokafi

“Swings like death and hell.” - Jack Lind, Det Fri Aktuelt, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Romus has a bold sound, unmistakable sincerity and conviction.”  - Downbeat

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone, alto

Location

Oakland

Clinic/Workshop Information

Music Business Discussion/ Q&A Rent Romus has worked as an independent music producer and curator since 1984. He runs Edgetone Records launched in 1991 originally a vanity label to support his recordings and later in 2001 began releasing other artists primarily from the San Francisco Bay Area crossing many forms of improvised and experimental music. He was the Executive Director of Jazz in Flight from 1996-1997 a non-profit jazz presenting organization based in Oakland California until it disbanded in 2001 which booked creative touring and local performing musicians at Yoshi's (jazz club) in Oakland California

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone, alto

Location

Oakland

Clinic/Workshop Information

Music Business Discussion/ Q&A Rent Romus has worked as an independent music producer and curator since 1984. He runs Edgetone Records launched in 1991 originally a vanity label to support his recordings and later in 2001 began releasing other artists primarily from the San Francisco Bay Area crossing many forms of improvised and experimental music. He was the Executive Director of Jazz in Flight from 1996-1997 a non-profit jazz presenting organization based in Oakland California until it disbanded in 2001 which booked creative touring and local performing musicians at Yoshi's (jazz club) in Oakland California. He founded Outsound Presents a non-profit artist based organization and serves as the Executive Director while he curates The SIMM Music Series since 2001 at the Musicians Union Hall as well as the Luggage Store Gallery New Music Series in San Francisco. Romus co-founded and was the Director of Promotion for the SFAlt Festival in 2002-04 which lead to him create and organize the annual Edgetone New Music Summit, a national experimental music festival held in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The festival is now produced under the Outsound Presents banner which continues at the present under the title, Outsound New Music Summit. Topics covered are: • Business philosophies from the artist point of view • business models, licensing, contracts • D.I.Y (do it yourself) promotional concepts • Navigating product manufacturing, distribution, labels • Self-booking and independent touring • Tools for administration A question and answer session is utilized to engage participants after the lecture portion. Directed Improvisation Workshop The workshop can be open to everyone regardless of their experience and is open to others to incorporate dancers, filmmakers, writers, actors and fine artists and more if the environment allows. Participants will leave the workshop with a greater ability to work collaboratively with others in a group setting through group awareness and interactive listening. This is primarily designed to enhance sonic and artistic interactions between individuals within a group setting. Though a set of written directions, graphs, signs, hand signals conducted, and input from the participants, individuals may utilize everyday sound sources, found objects and objects that already naturally exist in the space, or voice, traditional musical instruments, non-traditional instruments and ambient sounds that are occurring outside of the group and everything possible that we discover as an ensemble throughout the process. Overall, the emphasis is not necessarily on individual creativity but on the ability to listen and collaborate with others. This workshop encourages participation by anyone regardless of their musical experience, age, or language.

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