MADS TOLLING QUARTET

Booking & Management Contact: Lisa Bautista, JFM Presents Phone: 510-967-1109

Email: lisa@madstolling.com Website: www.madstolling.com

Mads Tolling Quartet was founded by violinist Mads Tolling in 2007, his first major solo project. The Mads Tolling Quartet consists of:

Mads Tolling – ViolinMike Abraham – GuitarGeorge Ban-Weiss – Acoustic/Electric BassEric Garland – Drums

Mads Tolling, Mike Abraham, George Ban-Weiss and Eric Garland cinclame together through the eclectic San Francisco jazz scene. The distinctive Quartet integrates the violin into a traditional jazz combo. All four instruments play unconventional roles to make the music come to life. Violin may act as drum, guitar may take bass lines and bass may carry the melody. There are some moments of pure spontaneity, but underlying the concept of MTQ are thoughtful compositions and arrangements. All four players have re-thought their instruments in a fresh way, relying on their instincts to let the music speak for itself.

MTQ draws inspiration from jazz to world music to rock & roll, and from such artists as Herbie Hancock, Ravi Shankar and Radiohead. Most of the music is composed and arranged by bandleader, Mads Tolling.

Tolling, a Grammy™ -Award winning performer & arranger, has a distinct melodic and lyrical “groove” to his writing. MTQ enjoys playing well-known pieces such as Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk”, Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”, giving them a new twist, while staying true to the spirit of the original versions.

MADS TOLLING QUARTET

In March of 2008 Mads Tolling Trio released its first album entitled, “Speed of Light”. The album features ten tunes of originals and arrangements, and in addition a solo violin version of Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green”. Soon after the release the trio expanded to its current configuration – Mads Tolling Quartet. The Quartet has performed at numerous venues around the country, including Yoshi’s Oakland & San Francisco, Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, SF Jazz Festival, Summerlin Library in Las Vegas & Blues Alley in Washington DC.

In the summer of 2009 MTQ went in the studio to record “The Playmaker,” which features special guests bass legend Stanley Clarke, Yellowjackets founder Russell Ferrante & vibist Stefon Harris. The album was released worldwide in the fall of 09, which marks an exciting time for MTQ with tours nationally & internationally going forward to 2010.

“Mads Tolling Quartet Fires Up Oakland Venue Yoshi’s with Furious Sound.”……… “Completely engrossed in their complex rhythmic relationships, the four seemed wholly invested in the idea that their performance went deeper than simply entertainment but entered the realm of art-something challenging, for both audience and band.” -Daily Californian

“While Tolling is skilled at evoking a beautiful melody, he’s equally adept at filling out the sound with powerful double-stops and intricate harmonics…” -Strings Magazine

“Virtuosity may be a given on “The Playmaker,” but what’s most impressive is the sound of Tolling’s quartet, which drives the majority of the record and, based on the results, must be thrilling live.”-John Kelman, All About Jazz

“Overall, a wondrously balanced and stylish outing that sustains repeated listens. Tolling and his bandmates provide the requisite doses of improvisation within a set of hugely appealing and prismatic song-forms.” -Glenn Estarita, JazzReview.com

MADS TOLLING

Booking & Management Contact: Lisa Bautista, JFM Presents Phone: 510-967-1109

Email: lisa@madstolling.com Website: www.madstolling.com

Mads Tolling, internationally renowned violinist, violist, and composer, is a member of the two time Grammy Award-Winning Turtle Island Quartet. As a soloist, he regularly tours as jazz violinist with the acclaimed bassist Stanley Clarke and his touring band. Since 2007 Mads has lead his own group, Mads Tolling Quartet. His latest recording, “The Playmaker” released in the fall of 09, features bass legend Stanley Clarke and jazz greats Russell Ferrante & Stefon Harris.

As violist with Turtle Island Quartet, 2003-2007 and now as violinist, 2007-present, Mads maintains an active touring and recording schedule as well as composing and giving master classes. In 06 and 08 as part of Turtle Island Quartet Mads won two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover album with the recordings “4+Four” and “A Love Supreme – The Legacy of John Coltrane.” Tolling has received Denmark’s Sankt Annae’s Award for Musical Excellence as well as grants from Queen Margaret, the Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award. He has performed with Paquito d’Rivera, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Sergio and Odair Assad & Leo Kottke.

In 2007 Mads Tolling started his own trio and immediately recorded the album “Speed of light.” The following year the trio expanded to a quartet. In it are some of the top Bay Area musicians, including Mike Abraham on guitar, George Ban-Weiss on bass and Eric Garland on drums. Mads Tolling Quartet has performed all over the San Francisco Bay Area and the West Coast including Yoshi’s San Francisco, Russian River Jazz Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens and Summerlin Library in Las Vegas. MTQ will tour nationally and internationally in 2010 in support of their release: “The Playmaker.”

MADS TOLLING

Mads grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark and moved to the U.S. at the age of 20 to pursue jazz studies. He studied under violinist Matt Glaser, and he graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2003. While still attending Berklee, the renowned jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty recommended Mads to join Stanley Clarke’s band. Since then, he has performed more than 100 concerts with Clarke worldwide, including the Newport Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl.

Besides his activities as a performer, Mads Tolling is an accomplished composer. “The Playmaker” release mainly features Mads’ original compositions in addition to well known pieces such as Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and P. W Ellis’ “The Chicken.” Of his three prior recordings of original material, one features the legendary pianist JoAnne Brackeen. Mads has recorded with vibraphonist Dave Samuels and appears on RMB singer Teena Marie’s recording “La Dona” and on jazz vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway’s “At Last”. He has additionally contributed numerous arrangements and compositions to Turtle Island Quartet’s repertoire.

Mads has been a thriving force in the educational aspects of jazz and improvisation. He has been active as a Yamaha clinician and has been involved in workshops, coachings and master classes throughout Canada and the U.S. He was recently invited as a performer and clinician to the 34th International Viola Congress in Montreal, Canada. Mads was also featured on NPR’s Performance Today on Christmas Eve, where he on solo viola performed his version of the carol, “Beautiful Savior”.In his spare time Mads enjoys golfing, tennis and hiking. In 1999, together with his father, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

“Mads has the amazing talent and skills that few young musicians can match. His music is both beautiful and refreshing exhibiting his superb mastery of the modern American Jazz music that is rarely seen among his peers.” -Jean-Luc Ponty

“Mads Tolling is the most exciting musician I have come across in the past ten years. This recording represents some of the most creative music making out there.” -Stanley Clarke

“Mr. Tolling is a virtuoso who doesn’t abandon his listeners. “Speed Of Light”, with sophistication and maturity doesn’t abandon accessibility. This is fascinating, hooky and satisfying music and Mads takes it beyond the academy and back to the ear.” -Leo Kottke

MIKE ABRAHAM

Email: abra8000@hotmail.com

Website: www.madstolling.com

Mike Abraham was raised in the suburban wastelands of post-industrial Pittsburgh, PA. After several failed ventures involving W D - 4 0 , b i c l i g h t e r s a n d transformers, he became interested in organizing chunks of sound on the electric guitar as a result of listening to rock music during his early morning paper route. Later he was seduced by the forward-leaning jazz of Miles, Coltrane, Ornette and Mingus.

Temporarily derailed by a biology degree and some dreary research jobs involving weight-lifting rats, he got wise and embraced the music world again, moving to California and leaving the rats behind. Sought for his “tasty licks”, stylistic versatility, and devastating sex appeal, Abraham has become a valuable session player in the Bay Area, performing and touring with the Mitch Marcus Quintet, Helsinki Skylight, Stanley, Nevada, Low-Volume Restaurant Situation, Random Combinations and Derivations Thereof, and 60’s rock-icon Donovan.

GEORGE BAN-WEISS

Email: georgebw@me.berkeley.edu

Website: www.madstolling.com

George Ban-Weiss, a native of Davis, CA, has been playing upright and electric bass since he was 15 years old. He regularly performs and records with many of the finest San Francisco Bay Area jazz groups including the Mitch Marcus Quintet (voted Best Bay Area Jazz Group, 2006, SF Weekly), Realistic Orchestra (voted Best Bay Area Jazz Group, 2005, SF Weekly), Shotgun Wedding Hiphop Symphony, Stanley, Kasey Knudsen Sextet, The Japonize Elephants, Telepathy, Low End Theory, and Mitch Marcus Quintet plus Thirteen Bigband.

George has performed at many high profile venues such as Yoshi‘s, The Warfield Theatre, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Great American Music Hall, Pearls, and Bruno‘s on the west coast, and Small‘s and the 55 Bar jazz club in Manhattan.

ERIC GARLAND

Email: eric@subnautic.net

Website: www.madstolling.com

Eric was born in the refined environs of Marin but when he was 7 years old the Garland family moved to the rougher climes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the little town of Arnold.It’s there that Eric discovered his love of rhythym and drumming and frankly, just bangin’ on things! Growing up mountain style was basically a simple existence of classic rock (favorite rock band: Led Zepplin of course!) and eating many bowls of c h e e r i o s w i t h c o p i o u s a m o u n t s o f sugar…….mmmmm sugar.

After almost going crazy from the lack of anyone to play music with in the sticks, Eric moved to San Francisco to attend the illustrious San Francisco State University, where he almost just almost did enough work to graduate…….it’s at SF State that Eric encountered jazz for the first time and he completely turned 180 degrees musically and focused solely on that style for several years, eventually making his way from jazz to soul jazz and fusion to reggae and world music to hip hop and electronica (long live the dead style of drum and bass!)

Now Eric makes his living from playing with local bands, doing the occasional tour to hither and thither and teaching drumset lessons at Community Music Center in SF. He has played with a whole lotta groups, most of which you’ve never heard of and never will, but here’s a few past and present projects/bands/melodramas that he played/plays with: Neomythic, Neo Trio, Subnautic, Realistic, Will Bernard 4-tet, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, Low End Theory, The Shotgun Wedding Quintet and Hip Hop Symphony, Stara Nova, and most recently a tour with 60’s psychedelic luminary Donovan (yes, “Mellow Yellow” Donovan, really.). Currently Eric is playing with The Markstep Trio, Realistic Orchestra, Karina Denike, Joe Cohen Trio and Brass Monkey Brass Band.