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Dave Flippo
Member Since: 2004 | Location: Chicago | Page Views: 3,772 
About Me
Since 1992 Dave Flippo's ensemble (Planet Flippo) has presented Flippo's original compositions and arrangements in the Chicago area.
Planet Flippo began with the name “Flippomusic Globaljazz” which morphed into ”Flippomusic” and now “Planet Flippo.” The original quintet has settled into a quartet and was formed to perform and record Flippo's original compositions and arrangements. Flippo arrived in Chicago in 1987 after completing his Doctorate and Masters in Music Composition at the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music. At this time his interest in world music and jazz urged to develop his “global-jazz” style-blending one or two specific ethnic styles with jazz in various ways. To date, the band has recorded seven CD's, each reflecting different stages and styles Flippo explored. The band includes Dan Hesler on saxes/flute, Donn De Santo on bass, Heath Chappell on drums and Dave Flippo on keys, melodica and vocals. Planet Flippo is celebrating the release of their seventh CD, “Four Chefs” on Sunday, October 11th at the Sketchbook Brewing Co in Skokie, IL at 4909 Main Street. They will perform from 4:00 pm to 6:00. The album title reflects Flippo's desire to give credit to each band member for the development and performances of each of his original pieces. The CD describes the many contributions each member makes learning and developing each piece: creating intros and endings, suggesting vamps, interludes, choosing instrumentation, adjusting the form and much more. The band's musical history includes the original style - “global-jazz” or world/jazz fusion. ”Tendrils of Light” and “Ganesh” are from this period. Flippo's interest in singing and arranging jazz and contemporary standards resulted in “When the Heart is Strong” - a duo CD with guest artists (with ANOTHER band name-Da Duo Di Flippo De Santo!). This project was followed by “Tao Tunes,” 17 vocals settings of the ancient Tao Te Ching. The manager of a restaurant in Wilmette kept asking for Hendrix, Bowie and Cream pieces and this request generated a bevy of arrangements of contemporary artists and a search for ”new standards (a la Herbie Hancock) for the band to perform. This resulted in the CD “Life on Mars” which focuses in arrangements rather than original pieces. The two most recent CD represent a return to exploring different compositional styles, grooves, forms and meters. ”Dedications” contains pieces written for numerous musicians, friends and family that explore the meter of 7 and 14, while “Four Chefs” contains two tunes in eleven and attempts to develop a jazz counterpoint in certain pieces. This is most evident in “Danke Bach,” “Julian,” and “Tumbling Up.” The band performs weekly at area Mariano's cafes, monthly at the Ravenswood Tavern, and performs library concerts throughout the year. Sample all our complete tracks, as well as purchase individual tracks or whole CD's at https://planetflippo.bandcamp.com
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Richard J SalvucciNews Announcements
- Twenty Years of Exploration Leads Flippomusic to “Tao Tunes”
- Chicago's Flippomusic Releases the First Jazz Setting of the Tao Te Ching: "Tao Tunes" (Oppilf Records)
- Chicago Reader Critic's Choice: Flippomusic
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I appreciate the vast amount of info I can get here at All About Jazz as well as reviews my cd's have gotten in the past. Thanks.This page was last updated on 2026-10-01.
