Artist Biographies
A
classically-trained keyboardist and jazz saxophonist, Aram unites all
of his training and experience to play fusion as a founding member of
the OWLA. Taking inspiration from contemporary keyboard greats like Chick
Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Sun Ra, Aram's playing style
and composition contributions are eclectic, electric and often apoplectic.
Overdriven Rhodes, soaring synths and thick extensions of the dominant
are his specialty! He dreams of being able to spread his furious two-fisted
percussive comping technique to young and impressionable players everywhere.
Jason
Deatherage is known far and wide for his powerful and idiosyncratic
drumming style. Frenetic bursts of rhythmic exploration alternate with
deep grooves and iconoclastic arrangements whenever Jason is behind the
kit. His furious bass guitar skills are also showcased in many of the
OWLA's recorded tracks, and Jason contributes his share of the composition
on that instrument. A noted independant producer and recording engineer,
Jason crafts the OWLA's raw, live energy into its final recorded form
at the OWLA's mountain monastery, Fort Cosmos Studios in the picturesque
free state of Fort Cosmos.
Guest Artists
Rodd Keen - Guitar
A versatile and accomplished guitar player, Rodd was
kidnapped from the world of death metal and brought blindfolded into the
OWLA’s hidden mountain monastery to provide us with the heavy underpinnings
and alternately blistering and thoughtful leads that tie the record together.
Ben Ross - Bass
Abducted from traditional jazz by the OWLA's nefarious (but infinitely compassionate) agents, Ben has been genetically altered to rock the low end with his unstoppable musical energy.
Stephanie Darychuk - Bass on "The Abacus - Live"
A young and talented player who brings an earthy tone and well grounded style to “The Abacus – Live”
OWLA Frequently Asked Questions
What is fusion?
Well, it can be just about anything, but we like to think of it as adventurous
instrumental music that is challenging to play. We know we’ve succeeded
when during a gig we look over at each other and think, “Why the
hell did we write something this hard to play?” For a more intellectual
discussion on the history of ‘fusion’ click here,
(and don’t ask us why that lame picture is there either)
Doesn’t fusion suck?
Maybe fusion sucks to most non-musicians, and of course to the jazz establishment,
but we like it, so who cares if it sucks? And of course there’s
the fact that we can’t really sing, so what choice have we really
got?
Where did you guys come up with
that lame/awesome/weird/cool (pick your adjective) name?
The Ocean Wide Lotus Assembly is a Buddhist term/concept representing
the gathering of all the ‘superior beings’ of the Buddhist
‘pantheon’ in the Land of Ultimate Bliss (Creston, BC, Canada
for those that didn’t know). ‘Ocean Wide’ represents
the fact that the participants are infinite in number or at least greater
than one and less than three during most studio sessions.
So you guys are Buddhists then?
Well not really, though philosophically we might have a thing or two in
common with Buddhists. And Jason was often babysat by a Tibetan Buddhist
Lama during his early childhood…does that count?
Email Us!
For more information about The Ocean Wide Lotus Assembly, please contact us at theowla@gmail.com.