Dave Flippo-piano/vocals/melodica, Dan Hesler-saxes.flute, Heath Chappell-drums, Donn De Santo-bass
Skillful, smokin' jazz wonders ~ Pure joy! ~Volcanic! ...
Dick Metcalf ~Contemporary Fusion Review
Elegantly interpret classic rock tunes . . .
and endow them with a delightful sense of swing.
Hrayr Attarian ~ Chicago Jazz Magazine
I listened and I listened, over and again.
I loved what I heard. This is a great album."
Richard Mitnick ~ Mindsprings Blog
…Whether it’s the craftsmanship of the writing, or the surprising appeal of Flippo’s vocals, or the strength of the Tao Te Ching itself, Tao Tunes has definitely left its mark on my sensibilities. And a few of its earworms, against all odds, have burrowed deep into my right brain.
Neil Tesser - Chicago Examiner
The band creates a sound, a texture and a brand of improvisation as exotic as it is original. Howard Reich ~ Chicago Tribune
Jazz from Planet Flippo is a marvel. The instrumental artistry is exemplary and the composing and arranging is brilliant. Dave Flippo is a wonder and the music tells you everything you need to know.” Travis Rogers, Jr. ~The Jazz Owl
Much appreciation to:
Kate Smith Production
and Mouthpiece Music
for their very successful radio and press campaigns
for our 2021 release of "Dedications"
REVIEWS for "TAO TUNES"
THE HERALD SCOTLAND -
"But as one of the most intriguing releases to appear this year, it's (Tao Tunes) also a gift to the wider world. Sure, Tao Tunes can be dark and serious in places but it's also playful, joyous and musically enjoyable, and with the original text's sometimes fortuitous rhyming structure, at times it's simply downright good fun." by Rob Adams ONLINE PAGE FULL REVIEW
CHICAGO MUSICAL EXAMINER - NEIL TESSER -
And now, in the category of “Bet you didn’t see that one coming … here's Tao Tunes (Opplif Records), an absolutely unexpected, and unexpectedly successful, setting of 17 lessons from the Tao Te Ching. Tailoring a sensible range of jazz idioms to fit the lessons of various verses, Flippo has constructed a tuneful program that certainly stands up musically. I can’t think of anyone who’s so diligently turned his musical idiom to the service of much heavier religious philosophy as Flippo does here. The fact that it works is almost a bonus.
…Whether it’s the craftsmanship of the writing, or the surprising appeal of Flippo’s vocals, or the strength of the Tao Te Ching itself, Tao Tunes has definitely left its mark on my sensibilities. And a few of its earworms, against all odds, have burrowed deep into my right brain. by Neil Tesser FULL REVIEW
ALL ABOUT JAZZ ITALIA - It is "Taoism" that influences Flippo's musical imagery, pushing him to rework the texts of seventeen chapters of the "Tao Te Ching," inserting them in as many original compositions. Flippo, for his part, manages to bring together texts and music, giving them homogeneity, and performs the songs with a warm and reassuring voice.This commitment should be appreciated above all for its true source of inspiration, "the spiritual appeal," which allowed us to know the "Tao" of an exciting journey that Flippo undertakes between philosophy, religion, and music. by Staff Writers
ONLINE PAGE FULL REVIEW and original Italian.
National Award:
Jazz Connect 2016 Jazz Jukebox Jury Award
If Six Were Nine by Jimi Hendrix, arr. Flippo
was chosen for the Jazz Connect 2016 Jazz Jukebox Jury conducted at the Jazz Connect Conference 2016- Jazz Times Magazine