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Dave Flippo

Since 1997 Dave Flippo has lead his modern jazz ensemble FLIPPOMUSIC, performing his original "globaljazz'" work that blend jazz with music from the world over. Their latest project "Tao Tunes" sets the ancient Tao Te Ching and add a vocal dimension.

About Me

Dave Flippo arrived in Chicago in 1987 after completing his Doctorate in Music Composition at the University of Michigan. He formed his modern jazz ensemble FLIPPOMUSIC a few later and began performing and recording his “globaljazz” compositons on Southport Records-”Tendrils of Light” and “Ganesh.” These pieces blended jazz with a vast array of cultural styles the world over.

In 2004 Flippo began writing vocal pieces and singing and released “When the Heart is Strong” with Donn De Santo. The band's most recent project, “Tao Tunes,” is a modern vocal jazz setting of the ancient Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching. Flippo set eighteen chapters from the work to music in a wide variety of styles-funk, swing, Afro Cuban, ambient, beguine, rock, samba, jazz waltz, 6/4 tango and Latin-rock. “Tao Tunes” is set for a November 27th, 2011 release date. The band continues to play Chicago clubs: The Wonderbar, Katerina's, Heartland Cafe, Jerry's Wicker Park and C.J. Arthurs.

My Jazz Story

Dave Fliippo is the leader/keyboardist/vocalist and principal composer for "PLANET FLIPPO", one of Chicago's most innovative and long-lived contemporary jazz ensembles. The band started back in 1992 as "Flippomusic Globaljazz" because of the world jazz fusion tunes we were focusing one, but trimmed their name to "Flippomusic" after the first CD. Since that time the compositions and arrangements have traveled through several stages including setting verses of the Tao Te Ching, arranging a groups of contemporary rock classics and plunging multiple directions in jazz composition. The band has recorded tunes in 5/4, 7/4, and 14/4 and is working on several 11/4 tunes for their next, seventh CD. The perform weekly at various Chicago area Marianos's Cafe's as a trio and every fourth Tuesday at the Ravenswood Tavern, at 1829 W Montrose, Chicago (7-10 p,m.). Their recent CD "Dedications" has received national and international airplay over twelve rave reviews with the help of Kate Smith Productions and Mouthpiece Music. Favorite cuts have been Flippo's arrangement of "Too High" (S.Wonder) and "Karma Police (Radiohead) as well as several new Flippo originals: Syrtotic (14/8), Third Eye Open, Metamorphosis, Freewheelin' and Finch House (7/8). Disks, tracks and sheetmusic can be sampled and purchased to the band homepage at www.flippomusic.com