Bios

Sonic Explorers are a creative and spirited instrumental ensemble whose repertoire focuses on original compositions by leader/trumpeter Jerry Sabatini. Improvisational, compositional, moody and energetic, their music reflects a deep respect and love for American modern jazz, Eastern European folk, Middle and Far Eastern classical music and 20th/21st century Western classical music.

Jerry Sabatini
trumpeter/composer/leader
Jerry Sabatini began playing the trumpet in 1969 at age 9 in the New York State public school system. He began studying jazz improvisation and music theory more closely on his own in High School where he arranged several pieces for jazz ensemble. He attended college at SUNY at Buffalo where he majored in electrical engineering and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. At SUNY he also continued to nurture his passion to study and perform music while auditioning for and playing in small and large jazz ensembles. He also continued his study of jazz theory and history under the direction of tenor saxophonist Sam Falzone (Don Ellis Orchestra), bebop drummer Louie Marino (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell) and other faculty members of the music department. After moving to Boston in 1982 he met and began studying jazz improvisation and theory with internationally renowned jazz tenor saxophonist, Jerry Bergonzi, whom he cites as one of his deepest inspirational influences.

Jerry is currently enrolled in the Contemporary Improvisation Masters of Music Program at New England Conservatory where he will continue his studies in jazz, world and improvisational music and composition.  In the summer of 2007, Jerry was recognized as a finalist in the Massachusetts Cultural Commission's "Music Composition" Awards where he featured three compositions from the 2007 Sonic Explorers' release, "Lore of the Land".

Other musical influences include: Dave Douglas, John Zorn, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Cuong Vu, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Don Cherry, Don Ellis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Keith Jarret, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Art Blakey, Sun Ra, Frank Zappa, Led Zepplin, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Bulgarian Women's Choir, Huun Huur Tu, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Dimitri Shostakovitch, Bela Bartok, Phillip Glass and Lou Harrison.

Currently, Jerry leads the jazz septet, “Sonic Explorers”, where he plays trumpet and flugelhorn as well as composes and arranges all of the band’s original material. The Sonic Explorers have four independent CDs released, “Birth of The Kakalla” 1996, “Beatnik Oblivion” 1998 and "So Far So Near" 2002 and "Lore of the Land" 2007 on Nada Brahma Records. They perform regularly in Central Massachusetts, Providence, Boston and greater New England. Jerry also co-leads a jazz quartet, "Carnival of Souls" with NH guitarist Phil Sargent, Boston bassist Greg Loughman and Providence, RI drummer, Mike Connors. This band features original compositions written and co-written by all the members. They will be releasing their debut CD in early 2006. He performs regularly with guitarist, pianist, composer Mark Marquis and appears on two of The Mark Marquis Group's independent recordings, "Above The Clouds" 2000 and "The Invisible Ray" 2002.

Sabatini's past projects include co-founding and working with "Kakalla” (1998-2003) an original jazz quartet led by NYC bassist and composer, Thomson Kneeland, featuring NYC guitarist, Nate Radley and drummer Mike Connors. Kakalla has released three CDs featuring Kneeland's compositions. They are, “The Voice of Blood” 2001, "The Voice Of Silence" 2002 and "Seeds of Analog Rebellion" 2005 on Weltschmerz Records. Jerry can also be heard on two recordings of the avant guard pop group, Combustible Edison ("Schizophonic!" 1996 Sub Pop Records (SP313) and "The Impossible World" 1998 Sub Pop Records (SP431)) and was recently featured on Boston pianist, Molly Flannery's 2004 CD release, "Riding the Bull".

Jerry can be heard performing throughout New England with Sonic Explorers, Iskar, Roving Soul and The Mark Marquis Group as well as with many other bands and performers.

He also teaches jazz ensembles, music theory, composition and arranging and trumpet at The Joy of Music Program in Worcester, MA and at his home studio.

Rich Ardizzone
is a classically trained trombonist with a Bachelor’s degree in performance from Boston University and a Master of Education degree from Tufts University. He has performed with the Paul Fontaine/Jimmy Mosher Big Band, the Brass Mangerie and a variety of Salsa and Latin bands. While playing professionally in the Boston area in the early 1960’s he was a member of Conjunto Azul, a Latin Jazz ensemble that played at the legendary Paul’s Mall as the house band. For the past ten years he has been active in the area with the Rich Falco Quartet. He is the Associate Director and teaches trombone, jazz ensemble, recorder and Afro-Caribbean drumming classes at the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, MA.

Phil Sargent
made his professional debut at age 14 and has since worked with a number of prominent musicians including John Lockwood, Matt Wilson, Yosuke Inoue, Thomson Kneeland and others. He studied at the University of New Hampshire and has studied with critically acclaimed guitarists Ben Monder, and Brad Shepik. Phil leads his own group whose compositions draw from a variety of influences, most prominently the odd meters and eastern tonalities of ethnic Balkan music and modern jazz improvisation. Phil released his first recording (For Carl) with this group in April of 2002. In addition to writing for his own group he composes and is co leader for the genre bending groups Carnival of Souls and The Industrious Noise Trio. Phil also performs as a sideman in the Sonic Explorers, Zumbao Trio and a variety of other ensembles ranging from straight ahead jazz to the avante-garde.

John Funkhouser
A native of the Boston area, bassist John Funkhouser studied classical piano from the age of seven, and classical bass from age nine. He majored in music theory at Cornell University and returned to Boston to earn a Masters degree from New England Conservatory in jazz piano, bass and composition in 1995. After four years living in New York City, John again returned to Boston in 2000 to raise a family, perform, and teach at Berklee College of Music.

Funkhouser takes an active interest in a wide spectrum of music, including all kinds of jazz, from avant-garde to straight ahead to New Orleans Jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music, folk music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, American popular music, including funk, rock, blues, bluegrass, and hiphop, Classical from Gregorian chant to 21st century music, Hindustani Classical music of North India, Balinese and Javanese Gamelan, and all kinds of hybrids between these various traditions.

Since returning to Boston, Funkhouser has been in demand as a jazz bassist, participating in an array of musical projects with the area’s most accomplished and creative musicians. He has shared the stage with Luciana Souza, Yoron Israel, Laszlo Gardony, Ron Savage, Tierney Sutton, Stan Strickland, Bob Gulotti, Rick Peckham, Phil Grenadier, Brad Hatfield, Tim Ray, Jeff Galindo, Joe Mulholland, Pierre Hurel, twelve-year-old piano prodigy Matt Savage, Patrice Williamson, John McNeil, Tim Miller, Bertram Lehman, and Mark Harvey's Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. Along with Ran Blake, Herb Pomeroy and John Harbison, he was a featured soloist with the MIT Wind Ensemble’s world premier of Mark Harvey’s magnum opus, “Beyond.” Funkhouser returned to his classical roots in 2003, joining the bass section of the New England Philharmonic under conductor Richard Pittman. The orchestra specializes in modern music, performing world premiers and 20th/21st Century music, as well as the standard Classic and Romantic repertoire. Funkhouser shared the stage with pianist Stephen Drury Funkhouser is also becoming known in the Boston’s Afro-Cuban jazz scene, and has been performing with some of Boston’s top Afro-Cuban musicians, including Leo Blanco, Francisco Mela, Pablo Bencid, Steve Langone, and Rebecca Cline.

As the leader of his band FunkHouse and as a sideman, Funkhouser has toured the US several times, performing at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Pittsburgh's Mellon Jazz Festival, Oklahoma City's Jazz In June (as leader and headliner), and many other music festivals. He has played at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Birdland, in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and venues in Chicago, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Denver, Seattle, and dozens of other US cities. John has performed abroad in such diverse locations as Paris, Toulon, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Montreal. He appeared with Matt Savage on ABC’s “20/20” and twice on NBC’s “Today Show.”

Funkhouser’s discography includes CDs with James Merenda’s Masked Marvels, Pierre Hurel, Laura Allen, Philippe Cretien, Willie Myette, Thomas Luescher, Dave Scott, Molly Flannery, several CDs with the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, four CDs with Matt Savage, and two CDs as leader of his band FunkHouse.

Mike Connors
has studied jazz drumming at Berklee College of Music in Boston with jazz greats Joe Hunt and Alan Dawson. He performs not only on drums and percussion, but also on vibraphone as a freelance musician throughout New England in a variety of settings. He has traveled with several National Broadway Tours including, Bye Bye Birdie and Anything Goes (the Lincoln Center version). Mike has also toured the Caribbean with trumpeter Andre Rice as well as toured the U.S. and Europe with the avant garde pop group Combustible Edison whom he has also recorded several times with.

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