Description
“Hotshot swing, crackerjack instrumentals, superb harmonies & hysterical stagecraft” —The Folk Project
“Way more fun than squirrels in a bag of nuts… Smokin’ great” —Patrice O’Neill, Wintergrass
Rob Flax possesses a rare combination of skills: he is an award-winning violinist, classically trained but known for his jazz and improvisational pyrotechnics and irresistible grooves, plus a deep knowledge of American fiddle traditions. He’s also a powerhouse vocalist, capable of silky crooning a la Nat King Cole or visceral Chicago blues shouts, and a consummate songwriter with lyrical depth to complement the instrumental virtuosity.
For many years Rob performed mostly solo—it takes a special kind of musician to keep pace with Rob’s stylistic breadth and depth!—but after much searching he’s finally found a band that can keep up: Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio is a new “supergroup” that features Slava Tolstoy on guitar and Chris Sartori on bass. All three musicians are incredible instrumentalists who have chops for days, but know how to balance their prowess in service of the song.
Slava Tolstoy is a Boston based guitarist, singer and producer, originally from St. Petersburg Russia. Slava’s original songs are best described as energetic pop-rock with tight arrangements, virtuoso soloing and deep and meaningful lyrics in the best traditions of Russian rock.
Chris Sartori is a bassist, percussionist, and multi-instrumentalist currently based out of Boston. Throughout 10+ years touring nationally with Americana genre-defiers, Twisted Pine, Chris has studiously carved out a niche as the funkiest bassist in bluegrass.
Here is a video of Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio playing the jazz standard “All of Me.”
For decade after decade, Dean Stevens has delighted audiences of all ages throughout the Americas. An exuberant performer of distinctive style and wit, he combines an intricate, self-taught guitar style with a versatile and expressive singing voice. He has established himself as a formidable creator and interpreter of a wide spectrum of songs in English and Spanish. His own material explores a variety of personal and social topics, paints sketches of people and places, celebrates the Earth, and annoys the narrow minded.
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Dean Stevens is a lifelong student of Latin America. He learned Spanish at an early age, and readily absorbed the musical and topical influences of the region. He travels frequently to Central America, and has become known for his humanitarian efforts on behalf of war refugees returning to resettle their villages, replant their fields and reconstruct their lives.
Dean leads frequent trips to villages in El Salvador, and has become an importer of fine coffee from Izotalillo, one of these mountain communities.
