Michael Rossetto, Chris Porterfield & Devin Drobka

press release: The Arts + Literature Laboratory presents the Michael Rossetto on October 5, 2019, at 8pm. Tickets are $10 in advance at https://michaelrossetto.bpt.me or $15 at the door. Student tickets are $5 off with valid school ID. Advance ticket sales end 1 hour before the show. Doors open at 7:30pm.

As the son of Italian immigrants living in the Midwest, it is surprising that a banjo found its way into the hands of Michael Rossetto. As a self-taught banjoist & guitarist, Rossetto moved from Wisconsin to the Twin Cities in 1997 and began writing and recording instrumental music with his quartet, Spaghetti Western String Co. After four records, two Minnesota Music Awards and a handful of silent film score performances, the group disbanded in 2010.

After spending the following years recording and touring as a sideman for singer-songwriters: The Pines, Pieta Brown, Frankie Lee, Erik Koskinen and Buffalo Gospel, Rossetto returned to his instrumental core and began work on Intermodal Blues in 2015 with Minneapolis drummer and producer, JT Bates (Fat Kid Wednesdays, Phil Cook, Big Red Machine). This collection of cinematic compositions is inspired by and reflective of Rossetto’s adoration for the current state of global music. The focus around Intermodal Blues is the five string banjo, an often misunderstood instrument that is steeped in the traditions of American folk and bluegrass music– a world which is rarely referenced on Intermodal Blues.

Prominently featured on these pieces is Jim Anton’s Tuvan Doshpuluur, a fretless instrument with a sympathetic timbre to the banjo. Drummer and producer JT Bates reigned in Rossetto’s wide global palette and grounded the record in a jazz tradition intent on capturing moments not perfection. He recruited Chris Bates on upright bass as the foundation of the ensemble and Jim Anton’s Doshpuluur as a foil to Rossetto’s five string.

The concert series is supported in part by Alchemy, WORT 89.9FM, Heid Music, and HotelRED. Student ticket discount made possible by Grant Samuelsen Real Estate.