Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica

1 name, 3 formations: 

Quintet: Story-Driven Global Jazz & Chamber Music 

"engagingly unique"–Boston Globe 

In the same way a chef de cuisine runs a kitchen, percussionist Brian O’Neill leads a team of five musical creators who deftly collaborate on instruments foreign and domestic to form modernist delicacies for hungry, curious listeners. From the high arts of jazz and chamber music to adaptations of mid-century exotica and pop art, the quintet version of Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica renders O’Neill’s original compositions and curious arrangements of Bach, Gershwin, Shostakovich and John Adams into cinematic, layered music for armchair travelers ready to journey off road. 

Esquivel Megaband: Reviving the Lost Space-Age Pop Music of Esquivel

"…exquisite attention to details…" - Sunday Times London 

Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica is the world's only big band dedicated to performing the lost space-age pop music of Juan Garcia Esquivel. The 22-pc group has rescued the king-of-space-age-bachelor-pad's arrangements via meticulous transcriptions of Esquivel's original stereophonic recordings of crime jazz, easy-latin, and hi-fi music, shaken and not stirred, on a trip to the moon.

Czarna Wolgastar - Intergalactic Balkan Surf Jazz Trio

Czarna Wolgastar ("charnuh volga-star") is the world's only intergalactic balkan surf jazz trio. Whenever the space ship Wolgastar 1 returns to Earth, three non-corporeal Wolgastarian entities embody three members of Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica's quintet: Tev Stevig (guitar), Michael Harrist (bass), and Brian O'Neill (drums). Together, the trio – or sextet, depending on how you think of it – release a strange, other-worldly cocktail of Balkan beats and Milky-Way mischief crossed with the American songbook, Hollywood film soundtracks, and more. 

Testimonials

I recommend the [Esquivel Megaband] on behalf of the Montreal Jazz Festival. Our massive crowds loved  their shows, and the band was very easy to work with. 
MARC-ANDRÉ SARAULT, MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL  

By the end of the concert, our audience had given the quintet a standing ovation, with some calling it 'a blast; terrific presenters with excellent musicianship.'
SHEREE OWENS, CAPITOL CENTER (NH)

We had a wonderful turnout with 90% of our survey respondents giving the concert the top rating. The quintet is an exciting, unique group, and the audience really loved the music as well as all the background the group gave from the stage about the instruments and repertoire.
GLENN TOMLINSON, NORTON MUSEUM (FL)

Awards

2024 NEFA NEST Touring Grant - Czarna Wolgastar (Trio formation) @ Mayo Street Arts (Portland, ME)

2024 SoutArts JazzRoad Tour Recipient ($15k) 

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