Stirrup! Fred Lonberg-Holm, Nick Macri, and Charles Rumback
Stirrup is Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Nick Macri (bass), and Charles Rumback (drums).
Formed in Chicago in 2009, the trio is a true collective with all three musicians writing and arranging with an emphasis on a unique, genre defiant group sound. Exploratory, deep bass ostinatos, moody harmonies, strings shape-shifting from lyrical to noise, extended structures, and a dynamic rhythmic pulse are all jumping off points for the group with a wide range influences as varied as the list of bands and musicians Stirrup’s members have worked with including Ken Vandermark, Anthony Braxton, Ron Miles, Laetitia Sadier (of Stereolab), Tony Malaby, Wilco, Zeena Parkins, Mark Eitzel, Nina Nastasia, Hector Zazou, Joe McPhee, Boxhead Ensemble and Peter Brötzmann.
https://stirrup.bandcamp.com/album/picks-up-the-thread
Fred Lonberg-Holm – cello, tenor guitar, electronics
Fred Lonberg-Holm enjoys working with a wide variety of musicians in as many situations as possible. Current and ongoing projects include Stirrup (with Charles Rumback and Nick Macri), Friction Brothers (with Michaels Colligan and Zerang), The Boxhead Ensemble, The Sync (with Eve Risser and Mike Reed), The Fast Citizen’s, Ballister, Joe McPhee’s Survival Unit III, Party Knüllers (w/ Ståle Solberg), MArs William’s XmarsX, as well as numerous one off projects. Past ensembles of note include the Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, Anthony Coleman’s Self Haters Orchestra, the Vandermark Five, Ken Vandermark’s Frame Quartet, Seval, and Terminal 4. Improvisors he has worked with include Clare Cooper, Charlotte Hug, Andrea Neumann, Sofia Jernberg, Jaimie Branch, Shelly Hirsch, Tomeka Reid, Michiyo Yagi, Carrie Shull, Jodi Gilbert, Gunda Gottschalk, Carrie Biolo, Birgitte Uhler, Rachel Wadham, Mary Halvorson, Joelle Leandre, Joanne Powers, Zeena Parkins, Judy Dunaway, Lotte Anker, Tine Asmundsen, Jessica Pavone as well as a number of guys. He also leads a revolving cast large ensembles under the name Lightbox Orchestra. His extensive discography includes free improvised and free jazz recordings as well as new music, pop, rock and noise.
Nick Macri – double bass
Bassist Nick Macri has been exploring Chicago’s slipstream of creative music for decades from collaborative, creative groups and ad hoc improvised pairings, to notable sideman gigs, and the rare solo excursion. He is a founding member of the collective trio Stirrup with Fred Lonberg-Holm and Charles Rumback and is/was a contributing member to many, varied groups including Ken Vandermark’s Audio One, instrumental explorers Euphone and Heroic Doses, art-pop quartet The Zincs, and the pastoral, psych-folk of The Horse’s Ha (with Janet Bean and James Elkington). He has performed and toured as a sideman and recorded sessions with an eclectic list of artists including Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab, The Sea and Cake, Daughter of Swords, Nina Nastasia, Azita, Nathan Salsburg, Joan Shelley, Wanees Zarour, and Hector Zazou. He has performed across Europe, Asia, South America, and North America including concerts at Saalfelden Jazz Festival (Austria), Festival de Musique Actuelle Victoriaville (Canada), Reading Festival and Leeds Festival (U.K.), World Music Festival Chicago, All Tomorrow’s Parties (U.K.), the London Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Logan Center, and the Pritzker Pavilion (Chicago).
Charles Rumback – drums
Charles Rumback is a figure of the rich and varied Chicago music scene. Born and raised in Kansas, he moved to Chicago to study at the Chicago College of Performing Arts where he received a degree in Jazz Composition. Two Kinds of Art Thieves, his first album as a leader was released on Clean Feed Records in 2009. In 2017 Charles released two new albums as a leader; Threes and Tag Book. Other current projects include Colorlist, Stirrup, and a duo project with Ryley Walker. Charles’ playing deals closely with the jazz tradition, yet he has worked regularly with artists from a wide variety of backgrounds such as; Sima Cunningham, Caroline Davis, John Hughes, Angela James, Ron Miles, Tony Malaby, Jeff Parker, Nina Nastasia, Phil Ranelin and Krystle Warren.