Jason Schimmel
Encyclopedia
Jason Schimmel is best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the eclectic Santa Cruz band Estradasphere
. He is also involved with Don Salsa
, Secret Chiefs 3
and the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. He can also play the banjo and piano. He is well known for his versatile playing style, improvisational and compositional skill.
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1978. He began studying music at the age of eleven. Throughout his childhood his primary instrument was guitar. Studying many musical styles with various teachers throughout Los Angeles area, Schimmel developed a deep understanding of reading, improvising, and composing music.
During the time he was in high school he attended Harbor College where he continued his studies of harmony, theory, and jazz improvisation with Ken Miller from 1995-97. He then went on to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, from 1997-02. During these years he focused on classical and jazz guitar, piano and voice. Receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Guitar, Schimmel immersed himself in performance. Electronic music was also of interest to Schimmel during this time; he received a Bachelor of Arts minor in Electronic Music from UCSC, focusing on tape composition, analog synthesis, MIDI composition, and computer sequencing. During this time he studied many forms digital audio composition, recording techniques, and mixing.
Performance of original works is also very important to Schimmel. Recording over five albums’ worth of original compositions with the band Estradasphere, he has toured all over the U.S., Europe, and Canada many times in support of these albums. He has also recorded or performed with John Zorn’s COBRA and Masada, DJ Colette, Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3), the White Album Ensemble (Doobie Bros, Snail), Santa Cruz New Music Works, William Winant, Fred Frith, and Chris Brown. Currently Schimmel is composing, performing, and teaching throughout the Bay Area.
In 2008, Schimmel released his debut solo album entitled the Orange Tulip Conspiracy on Mimicry Records.
Estradasphere
Estradasphere was an experimental band that originated in Santa Cruz, California during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of 6 multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds trained in disciplines ranging from classical music and...
. He is also involved with Don Salsa
Don Salsa
Don Salsa is an avant-garde metal band. It is an offshoot project band of the group Estradasphere.Its first album was the 1997 release, Koolaid Moustache in Jonestown. Its tracks range from 53 seconds to more than 31 minutes, and spans several musical genres.-External links:**...
, Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3 is an instrumental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance . Their studio recordings and tours have featured different line-ups, as the group performs a wide range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arab, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music,...
and the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. He can also play the banjo and piano. He is well known for his versatile playing style, improvisational and compositional skill.
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1978. He began studying music at the age of eleven. Throughout his childhood his primary instrument was guitar. Studying many musical styles with various teachers throughout Los Angeles area, Schimmel developed a deep understanding of reading, improvising, and composing music.
During the time he was in high school he attended Harbor College where he continued his studies of harmony, theory, and jazz improvisation with Ken Miller from 1995-97. He then went on to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, from 1997-02. During these years he focused on classical and jazz guitar, piano and voice. Receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Guitar, Schimmel immersed himself in performance. Electronic music was also of interest to Schimmel during this time; he received a Bachelor of Arts minor in Electronic Music from UCSC, focusing on tape composition, analog synthesis, MIDI composition, and computer sequencing. During this time he studied many forms digital audio composition, recording techniques, and mixing.
Performance of original works is also very important to Schimmel. Recording over five albums’ worth of original compositions with the band Estradasphere, he has toured all over the U.S., Europe, and Canada many times in support of these albums. He has also recorded or performed with John Zorn’s COBRA and Masada, DJ Colette, Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3), the White Album Ensemble (Doobie Bros, Snail), Santa Cruz New Music Works, William Winant, Fred Frith, and Chris Brown. Currently Schimmel is composing, performing, and teaching throughout the Bay Area.
In 2008, Schimmel released his debut solo album entitled the Orange Tulip Conspiracy on Mimicry Records.