THE TIPTONS [usa]

Vier Saxophone, einmal Percussion – The Tiptons aus Seattle im US-Bundesstaat Washington sind ein Jazz’n’Folk-Ensemble der besonderen Art. Ursprünglich firmierte die quirlige Frauen-Band als Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet – in Erinnerung an die Saxophonistin und Pianistin Billy Tipton, die sich einst als Mann ausgab, um in Musikerkreisen akzeptiert zu werden. „The Tiptons“ verarbeiten eine Vielzahl von Einflüssen, vom New Orleans Jump-Groove über HipHop und Funk bis hin zu Swing, Klezmer und osteuropäischen Folk-Formen: eine Fülle von Sounds und Stilen!

Ihr Debüt-Album veröffentlichten sie 1993, zuletzt erschienen sind die Super-Audio-CD „Surrounded by Horns“ (Stockfisch Records, 2004) und "Drive" (Zippa/Spoot, 2006). 2008 veröffentlichten die Tiptons ihr Album "Laws of Motion" (Zippa!Spoot), das wiederum - wie auch die Vorgängeralben - in Europa erhältlich ist bei No Man’s Land.

"...The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet trooped onstage lugging their arsenal of horns...They unleashed powerhouse unisons, hammering riffs, contrapuntally controlled chaos, fierce counterpoint and sharp solos on a program that ranged from Carla Bley to Los Lobos, from klezmer to Sun Ra." Paul De Barros, Down Beat

"Looser than the 29th Street, more in than out as ROVA, and hipper than World, this sax quartet is a groove." Mark Corroto, SOS Jazz

The Tiptons are an all-female sax quartet with percussion, based in Seattle, WA. The group features Jessica Lurie and Amy Denio, original members and the lead composers of the internationally renowned Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet (BTMSQ). All of the members share in composing and arranging - and their dynamic repertoire includes some fabulous singing as well!

BTMSQ was originally founded in 1988, and chose its name to pay tribute to big band saxophonist and pianist Billy Tipton, following the postmortem revelation that Tipton was actually a woman who lived as a man for more than 50 years. Many believe that this allowed Tipton to pursue a career in the male-dominated world of jazz. Not to be bound by convention, the Tiptons similarly do their own thing. With a repertoire that ranges from New Orleans jump groove to hip hop, punk to East European, klezmer and beyond, the Tiptons create some of the wildest sounds ever to come out of a sax quartet. Their unforgettable, playful concerts feature high-energy interaction between members, and a repertoire that touches on soulful music from around the world. The Tiptons’ long recording history as BTMSQ and Tiptons includes Saxhouse (Knitting Factory, 1993); Make It Funky, God (Horn Hut, 1994); Box (New World Records, 1996); Pollo D'oro (No Man's Land Records, 1998); Sunshine Bundtcake (Horn Hut Records, 2000); Short Cuts (Zipa/Spoot, 2002); Tsunami (No Man’s Land, 2004), Surrounded By Horns (Stockfish Records, 2004), "Drive" (Zippa/Spoot), and "Laws of Motion" (Zipa/Spoot, 2008). New album "Strange Flower" (Zipa/Spoot, 2010)