Dapp Theory is a quintet that blends “contemporary funk, groove and hip-hop into jazz with such seamless, casual precision it’s almost freaky.” (LA Weekly) Awarded the Chamber Music America “New Works” commission in 2006 and voted “Rising Star Keyboardist” by Down Beat Magazine in 2004, leader, Canadian-born pianist/composer, Andy Milne is one of the most important and respected young voices in jazz today. With Dapp Theory, Milne combines the talents of percussive poet John Moon, saxophonist Loren Stillman, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Kenny Grohowski, collectively helping to re-draw and extend the boundaries of jazz. Their highly anticipated “Layers of Chance”, features fresh compositions by Milne and will be released by ObliqSound in April 2008.

Milne formed the band in 1998 as a vehicle to “tell passionate stories, promote peace and inspire collective responsibility towards uplifting the human spiritual condition.” Since then, the band has evolved and built a loyal following, in large part due to their commitment to grass-roots touring, an ideology more often associated with rock ’n’ roll bands. Dapp Theory’s style is undefinable yet highly recognizable, blending influences ranging from Joni Mitchell & KRS One to Thelonious Monk & Van Halen. Their last CD, “Y’all Just Don’t Know” (Concord Records), released in 2003 included an ambitious collaboration with folk-rock icon Bruce Cockburn. Their next release, scheduled for 2007, features all new Milne compositions which blend various instrumental textures, infectious grooves, layered with lush harmonies and poignant lyrics.
 

Andy Milne:
Dapp Theory is a quintet that blends “contemporary funk, groove and hip-hop into jazz with such seamless, casual precision it’s almost freaky.” (LA Weekly) Awarded the Chamber Music America “New Works” commission in 2006 and voted “Rising Star Keyboardist” by Down Beat Magazine in 2004, leader, Canadian-born pianist/composer, Andy Milne is one of the most important and respected young voices in jazz today. With Dapp Theory, Milne combines the talents of percussive poet John Moon, saxophonist Loren Stillman, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Kenny Grohowski, collectively helping to re-draw and extend the boundaries of jazz. Their highly anticipated “Layers of Chance”, features fresh compositions by Milne and will be released by ObliqSound in April 2008.

Milne formed the band in 1998 as a vehicle to “tell passionate stories, promote peace and inspire collective responsibility towards uplifting the human spiritual condition.” Since then, the band has evolved and built a loyal following, in large part due to their commitment to grass-roots touring, an ideology more often associated with rock ’n’ roll bands. Dapp Theory’s style is undefinable yet highly recognizable, blending influences ranging from Joni Mitchell & KRS One to Thelonious Monk & Van Halen. Their last CD, “Y’all Just Don’t Know” (Concord Records), released in 2003 included an ambitious collaboration with folk-rock icon Bruce Cockburn. Their next release, scheduled for 2007, features all new Milne compositions which blend various instrumental textures, infectious grooves, layered with lush harmonies and poignant lyrics.

Loren Stillman:
Praised by the New York Times and National Public Radio as one of today’s truly creative voices, saxophonist Loren Stillman has been gaining recognition on the New York scene since his teens while still in high school. A semifinalist in the 2002 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition, he has performed with Charlie Haden, The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Carla Bley, Michelle Rosewoman, and John Ambercrombie. Stillman’s most recent recordings as a leader, The Brother’s Breakfast (2006, Steeplechase) and It Could be Anything, (2005, Fresh Sound) have received critical acclaim, including four-star awards from BBC Jazz Review and Downbeat Magazine. Raised in Westchester, NY, Stillman began playing at age seven when his early teachers included Ted Nash, Dick Oats and Dave Liebman. He has received 2 Outstanding Performance awards and a Rising Star award from Down Beat Magazine as well as scholarships from both The Manhattan School of Music and New School University. His influences range from Lee Konitz to David Lynch. Stillman has toured throughout Europe, North America and Japan as a leader and sideman and leads an active career in New York as an improviser and composer.

John Moon:
Vocalist/percussive poet/MC John Moon uses sound and visuals to change the way people interpret what they hear. Inspired equally by Salvador Dali and Ornette Coleman, he spits rhymes of collage; half painter, half poet. A graduate of DC’s Duke Ellington High School for the Arts, Moon has shared his experiments with sound in performance with the Free Style Union, Amphibians Collective and the Avant-God Vi_lence. He regards the “current state of despair in the world” as his ultimate inspiration for creating beauty in the world.

Chris Tordini:
At 22 years of age, bassist Chris Tordini is rapidly becoming an in-demand bassist in New York's creative music community. He graduated from the New School University in May 2006 and soon after was asked to join Dapp Theory and play on the band's upcoming CD. While attending school, Tordini performed professionally with a number of his teachers, including Rory Stuart, Ari Hoenig, George Garzone, and Andy Milne. He has also performed with some of today's most compelling musicians, including Dafnis Prieto, Mark Shim, John Ellis, and Rich Perry. Tordini performs frequently with other talented, like-minded young musicians like Mike Pinto, Tommy Crane, Logan Richardson, Frank Locrasto, Greg Ruggiero, Collin Killalea, Tyshawn Sorey, and Becca Stevens, all of whom lead their own bands and are determined to make their mark.

Kenny Grohowski:
Brought up in a musical household in Miami, 24-year-old drummer, Kenny Grohowski has been performing since the age of 14. His rich musical background is demonstrated through the growing list of his collaborators, including Vernon Reid, Peter Cincotti, Bobby Sanabria, Bill T. Jones, Rory Stuart, Cassandra Wilson, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, Giovanni Hidalgo, John Benitez, Domingo Quinones, and Bobby Valentin. Grohowski has been a member of bassist Lonnie Plaxico’s band since 2003 and performed in the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards with the award winning group RBD. He has appeared on several recordings, including Plaxico's hit “So Alive” [Sony, Japan].

Grohowski is also a composer and member of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Young Composers Symposium Development Program, who premiered his string quartet in 2005. The New York Times praised the piece as “insightfully combined dark Shostakovich-like harmonies with an edgy rhythmic drive.” He is currently working on a solo CD “Second Last Minute”, which blends a multitude of influences ranging from Weather Report, Allan Holdsworth, Meshuggah, Miles Davis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba NS Brand X. Grohowski is currently endorsed by Latin Percussion and Factory Metal Percussion.