Combining field recordings, cinematic sound design, and acoustic instruments, Spondee members Marc Gilley, saxophone, and Louis Romanos, drums, court the unexpected through explosive spontaneous composition born of the jazz tradition and contemporary electronics to create an improvised electro-acoustic music unlike any other. Based in Athens, GA, Spondee has appeared at the Westobou Festival in Augusta, GA, the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA, Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, AL, and at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, GA, as well as Hendershots in Athens, GA.
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Spondee combines field recordings, cinematic sound design, and acoustic instruments, Spondee members Marc Gilley, saxophone, and Louis Romanos, drums, court the unexpected through explosive spontaneous composition born of the jazz tradition and contemporary electronics to create an improvised electro-acoustic music unlike any other. Based in Athens, GA, Spondee has appeared at the Westobou Festival in Augusta, GA, the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA, Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, AL, and at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, GA, as well as Hendershots in Athens, GA.
Bios:
Marc Gilley
A tree-hugger from the Chattanooga Valley by way of Athens, GA, saxophonist Marc Gilley is an interdisciplinary musician who focuses on original works while channeling the improvisational history of Chattanooga, TN (Bessie Smith, Jimmy Blanton, The Shaking Rays Levi Society, Yusef Lateef), the independent spirit of Athens, GA, and inspiration from the natural world in his playing.
He communicates with other musicians and audiences through a playful sense of improvisation and musical interplay. The goal of each performance is to create, alongside listeners and other performers, a newly formed acoustic world such that no two performances are the same.
He communicates with other musicians and audiences through a playful sense of improvisation and musical interplay, striving with fellow performers and listeners alike for a newly formed acoustic world such that no performance is the same. His ideal performance asks listeners and musicians alike to explore personal and sometimes seemingly unrelated elements (nature/experience/improvisation/body/mind), discovering hidden connections such that the creation of each performance is transformative, the meaning of the moment is shared, and the experience of life is deepened.
He has appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, the Dogwood Festival, and Athfest, among others, and at many well-known music venues including The Tabernacle, the 40 Watt club, 30 Rock, NY, NY. A saxophonist from the age of 10, he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Georgia.
Louis Romanos:
Louis Romanos studied percussion under Idris Muhammad, Johnny Vidacovich and Art Perretta. At nineteen he moved from Connecticut to New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz, to study music and philosophy. Louis has since performed and recorded with a number of renowned musicians including Tommy James (Director of the Duke Ellington Orchestra), Gene Bertoncini, Steve Masakowski, Chuck Leavell, Keith Richards, John Mayer, Charles and Cyril Neville, Al Hirt, Dave Easley of Brian Blade’s Fellowship band, Charlie Miller of Dr. John’s band, Jazz Legend Earl Turbinton, Tricia Boutte, Marva Wright, Dave Anderson of the Louisiana Philharmonic and many, many more.
As a Dance accompanist and composer, Mr. Romanos has worked with many wonderful dancers and dance companies including CORE, Red Dance, Risa Steinberg, Rachael Burman, Jackie Bugelici, Miguel Lopez, and Alvin Ailey School,
As a Composer, Louis writes for live bands, dance, TV, video games, indie movies and multimedia. Louis’s commissioned works include 5 works for the Confederacy of Dances performance in New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center, Take Me There, for the University of Monroe guitar ensemble and Baltic Blues for the Mirari Brass Quintet. Louis wrote Light Waves for visual artist and Chicago producer, Nancy Bechtol, and together they have a work on Culture T.V. Louis also composed about a dozen pieces for C-E-N-T-E-R, a collaborative project between visual artists and composers, in Los Angeles, California. Additionally, his composition, Tyco at the Gates was licensed to the major motion picture, Cool It.
Recent composer credits include a dystopian futuristic score for the short movie, Odessa, an action score for Fira’s Game, and an uplifting score for feature documentary, Pink and Blue: the colors of hereditary cancer. Louis scored live theater The Bakkhai, video games The Dark Ages of Titan, Corpse Wagon, the modern ballet piece Interior Borders by choreographer, Joan Buttram, at University of Georgia. Mr. Romanos recorded drums on the theme song for the Squidbillies on Cartoon network.
Currently, Mr. Romanos leads and writes for his own quartet, The Louis Romanos Quartet (www.louisromanosquartet.com), which released its debut album, Take Me There, in 2015 and Serenity in 2017. His quartet performs concerts and clinics in the mainland USA, Hawaii and Europe. Mr. Romanos recently developed a workshop for Brenau University Dance Department teaching dancers basic music and communications skills need for cross discipline collaboration. Mr. Romanos is currently scoring the full length feature film, Above the Fruited Plains. Website: http://sonamormusic.com/works/,
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