The Bottesini Project sets up shop in Chicago

A while back, Paul Riola gave up his post as program director and treasurer at Creative Music Works to focus on making music with his Bottesini Project. With as passionate as Riola clearly was about the organization during his time there, the decision must've been made with much consideration. Before...

By Dave Herrera

November 5, 2009

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A while back, Paul Riola gave up his post as program director and treasurer at Creative Music Works to focus on making music with his Bottesini Project. With as passionate as Riola clearly was about the organization during his time there, the decision must've been made with much consideration. Before departing from CMW, the music he was creating with the Bottesini Project was well enough received, both locally and in places like San Francisco, where Riola and company played an impromptu set this past May, that he saw great potential to cultivate the project even further and embark on even more intriguing improvisational collaborations. Over the past few months, the Bottesini Project has made some great strides, from issuing another great album, Naima's Grass Pajamas, which features Nels Cline, Janet Feder, CacheFlowe and Keenan Wayne, to pulling together another compelling live outting at Notably Fine Audio last month. Capitalizing on this momentum in an effort to gain some national traction, Riola is taking the show back on the road and setting up shop in Chicago at the Hungry Brain in Chicago on Sunday, November 15. This time around, the perpetually shifting lineup will feature Riola leading the group on saxophone, with Josh Berman on trumpet, Jeff Parker of Tortoise on guitars, Mark Clifford on vibes, Josh Abrams on bass and Antwon Owens on drums. Sounds like Riola's creativity is at its peak right now. Creative Music Works indeed.

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