Home » Member Page

Dave Fabris

Knife

About Me

The music of guitarist David Fabris has been steeped deeply in an eclectic pool of influences... His new CD, Lettuce Prey (Great Winds/Musea), is music that is supported equally by the three legs of Rock, Jazz and Classical. It has the guts and glory of rock heroes like Jimi Hendrix (whose tune, Angel, is featured as a guitar solo on this CD). It possesses the surprise and intrigue of Jazz improvisation (like Ornette Coleman's Sadness - presented here in a jazz quintet format). Lastly, it exudes the intricacy and depth of contemporary Classical music - Ives, Prokofiev, and Khatchaturian are among the composers presented here. But the intent is for the styles to coalesce...that the heavy guitar bass and drum treatment of Ginastera's String Quartet No. 2, for example, maintains the sublimation of the original while making the listener pump their fist in the air!

His diverse influences are also evident in the variety of performances and ensembles to his credit: He has recorded 4 albums (Hatology, Soulnote, NoBusiness) and toured internationally with his mentor, third stream pianist Ran Blake, to great acclaim. Blake joins ‘The Knife’ as a featured guest on Lettuce Prey including 4 tracks left over from their Vilnius Noir LP (NoBusiness). Blake’s fans will be interested to hear him playing Hammond B3 organ on this CD for the first time!

Fabris has performed (on banjo) with his traditional jazz band, Mudsole, for both of President Clinton’s inaugurals. He was a reserve guitarist for Bernie Worrell, a founder of the seminal funk band Parliament. He is currently a member of the experimental big band, the Pittsburgh Collective, and the Punk/Cabaret trio, IMPetus. Mr. Fabris is also the founder of the Fabulous School of Music in Beverly MA and an adjunct professor at St. Thomas Aquinas and Passaic County Community College.