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Atlantic Road Trip is an international project combining prominent musical voices from Europe and America, exploring the evolution and fusion of traditional indigenous folk musics from Scotland, Ireland and Slovakia, and their historical coalescence through the medium of contemporary jazz and improvised music.

Paul Towndrow - alto saxophone, whistles, flute

Miro Herak - vibraphone

Chad McCullough - trumpet

Larry Kohut - bass

Jon Deitemyer - drums

The project also draws upon intertwined musical paths of European folk traditions and their historical interplay with music from Africa, South America, and beyond. Co-led by Chad McCullough (USA), Miro Herak (NED), and Paul Towndrow (SCO), the band’s international journey began with a virtual concert at the 2021 Glasgow Jazz Festival and continued with subsequent European tours in 2022 and 2023 with performances in Edinburgh, Glasgow, The Hague, Rotterdam, Leiden and Antwerp.

Their debut album ONE (released internationally on Calligram Records) explores folk traditions filtered through the lens of 21-Century improvising musicians. Recorded in Glasgow during a 2023 tour, the band will tour in support of the release with a three week-long tour through the United States.

During that tour, the band will also premier their first large-scale work Over Mountain, Under Sky, featuring Miro, Paul, and Chad with a full jazz band and string orchestra.

Each musician has their own story to tell, both musically and culturally. Compositions, arrangements and improvisation distil into a story-telling musical narrative that reflects and combines music’s evolutionary journey and its ability to shine an honest light on the history of humanity as well as the present day human experience As such, Atlantic Road Trip presents a unique, ‘multi-angle’ take upon historical world events including Colonialism, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, The Highland Clearances, World Wars, and the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain - all of this reflected in the melding of folk music traditions within, and outside of the jazz idiom. Indeed, the importance of cities such as Chicago as a cultural crucible in both the conservation and evolution of Celtic music, is to be recognised and celebrated. One can point to the efforts of people like Francis O’Neill, Chicago’s Chief of Police at the turn of the 20th Century, whose efforts in writing down and obsessively documenting the music played by Irish and Scottish immigrants, played a huge role not only in cementing the traditions into American culture, but in making the music, and it’s associated folklore available on the worldwide stage.

The ethos of the Atlantic Road Trip project recognises this spirit of artistic conservation and cultural sharing as one which should be ongoing to this day. As the music and the ideas evolve, so must the process of sharing.

PAUL TOWNDROW alto saxophone, whistles, flute

Saxophonist Paul Towndrow is best known as a bandleader of ensembles ranging from duo to sextet. From 2001-2021 he was a member of Scotland’s flagship jazz orchestra, The SNJO, before leaving the organisation to focus on solo pursuits. More recently he has worked as a composer and saxophonist for the groundbreaking Grit Orchestra. Performing professionally since the age of 15, Towndrow has become one the UK’s busiest musicians.

Paul has released six solo albums and has appeared as a sideman on many others. Much of his output is released on his own label, Keywork Records which was founded in 2005. His live credentials include appearances with a diverse range of artists from jazz greats Branford Marsalis, Randy Brecker, and John Scofield to Motown stars Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, soul legend Ben E King, and rock icons The Fratellis.

Once described in The Guardian as “A turbo-charged amalgam of all your saxophone heroes”, Towndrow has toured and recorded extensively in the UK and abroad, both under his own-name projects and others, such as with sensational US group The Bad Plus, New York based pianist David Berkman, Venezualan piano virtuoso Leo Blanco, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and jazz legend Benny Golson. In 2008 he was selected to tour Europe as part of the new European Colours Jazz Orchestra, a project comprising top jazz musicians from all over Europe.

As composer and arranger, Towndrow has written for ensembles of all shapes and sizes including music for TV and radio and arranging commissions for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. He has also developed compositional work with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra as part of Serious Productions' Air Time scheme. In 2013 he was commissioned to write music to celebrate 21 years of the London Jazz Festival. In 2014 he was commissioned to compose 'Pro-Am', his debut suite for double big band, to celebrate the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Towndrow was commissioned in 2018 to compose a new work for Glasgow's Festival 2018. The result was 'Deepening The River', a 60 minute work for extended multi-genre big band. 'Deepening The River' was subsequently included in the 2019 programme for Celtic Connections Festival, with a studio recording of the suite released in 2020, and subsequently longlisted for the 2021 Scottish Album of The Year Awards. In 2023 he received a commission to compose for string quartet Glisk, as part of a project entitled Stories Of People & Trees.

In 2020 Paul premiered his first symphonic work 'Declaration' with the Grit Orchestra. In 2022, Paul co-founded the international crossover touring group, Atlantic Road Trip, with Chicago based trumpeter Chad McCullough and Slovakian vibraphone master Miro Herak. In the same year he released the critically acclaimed album "Outwith The Circle"

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One of Scotland’s foremost jazz educators, Paul is a former lecturer in Jazz Studies at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and RCS Junior Conservatoire (2009 - 2021). In 2008, he launched Jazz Futures, a performance platform and for aspiring young jazz musicians. The scheme was nominated for ‘Best New Project’ at the inaugural Scottish Jazz Awards.

MIRO HERAK vibraphone

Award winning vibraphonist and composer Miro Herak was born in former Czechoslovakia, raised since early childhood in Bratislava. Miro studied percussion and was a member of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra for five years. After discovering the passion for jazz and improvised music he enrolled at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, where he obtained his master's degree. Based in The Hague since, he has enjoyed a career as a performer, composer, and educator. Miro is founder of an award-winning group AsGuests and multi genre ensemble The Hague Ethospheric Orchestra as well as the latest project KuVenda and group Atlantic Road Trip. Miro had the opportunity to work with artists such as Norma Winstone, Alex Sipiagin, Yuri Honing, Eric Vloeimans, Anton Goudsmit, John Ruocco among others. Miro is a versatile and passionate performer and can be heard on albums of AsGuests, The Hague Ethospheric Orchestra, Vinsent Planjer's Natural Selection, Paul Towndrow's Deepening the River or with the newest project KuVenda. Miro is a faculty member of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, where he teaches jazz vibraphone and ensemble classes.

CHAD MCCULLOUGH trumpet

Heralded for his “solos of mercurial poetry and high craft.” (Chicago Tribune) Chicago-based trumpeter/composer Chad McCullough is active throughout the world. Dan McClenaghan writes, “He is a rare instrumentalist who makes each note sound as if it were imbued with a deeper meaning. Certainly a player with great chops, his approach is one that is measured and deliberate, often introspective, sometimes gorgeously melancholic, and one that employs a continuity of mood and atmosphere …”

His latest album, The Charm of Impossibilitiesis an introspective work based on the compositional concepts of Olivier Messiaen, and features Jon Irabagon, Larry Kohut, and Jon Deitemyer. He has also recently released an international collaboration ONE by the band Atlantic Road Trip.

He is co-owner of the Chicago-based record label Calligram Records, a professor at two major universities, graphic designer, and regularly tours internationally.

His bands have performed at many festivals, including the Festival of New Trumpet Music (New York), the GG Jazz Festival (Russia), Chicago Jazz Festival, The Earshot Jazz Festival (Seattle), Halifax Jazz Festival, and The Appeltuin Jazz Festival (Belgium). His albums have been released internationally on Calligram Records, Origin Records, ears&eyes records, Monks and Thieves, and Shifting Paradigm. He’s a frequent collaborator with many musicians/ensembles, including groups with; Atlantic Road Trip, Bram Weijters, Matt Ulery, Roger Ingram, Dana Hall, Ryan Shultz, Luke Malewicz, James Davis, Rob Clearfield, and Tim Hagans and has performed with Maria Schneider, Miguel Zenon, Stafford James, Michael Shrieve, Avishai Cohen, Kendrick Scott, Claudio Roditi, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Charles Tolliver, Ambrose Akinmuserie, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, and many more.

LAWRENCE KOHUT bass

Bassist Larry Kohut, based in Chicago, is among the most in demand bass players. Equally fluent on both upright and electric bass, he’s a first call studio musician as well as a favourite with jazz musicians. His discography includes more than 100 albums, as well as several major movie soundtracks and hundreds of commercial jingles.

More impressive than that is his history, having played with countless greats including Kenny Werner, Ramsey Lewis, Bruce Barth, Benny Golson, Michael Brecker, George Coleman, George Garzone, Javan Jackson, Phil Woods, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson, Charles Macpherson, David Fathead Newman, Larry Coryell, Ben Monder, Slide Hampton, Steve Nelson, Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Karrin Allyson, Patricia Barber, Little Jimmy Scott, Vinnie Colaiuta, Kenwood Dennard, Adam Nussbaum, Joe LaBarbera, Michael McDonald, Jewel, Sara Bereillies, Elvin Bishop, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

JON DEITEMYER drums

Jon Deitemyer has established himself as a unique and versatile voice in modern jazz drumming. After graduating from the esteemed University of North Texas where he studied with Ed Soph and Lynn Seaton, Jon settled in Chicago and quickly became a fixture in the city's expansive creative music community.

Jon has been a member of Greenleaf artist Matt Ulery’s various ensembles since 2006, and currently performs with ArtistShare recording artist Patricia Barber. In addition, Jon has performed and recorded with Zach Brock, Phil Markowitz, Ben Paterson (MaxJazz), Grazyna Auguscik (EMI), Renee Fleming, Lynne Arriale, and American Public Media’s “Prairie Home Companion”. Jon is also an active educator, with positions at Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago.

MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT:

Atlantic Road Trip is an international project combining prominent musical voices from Europe and America, exploring the evolution and fusion of traditional indigenous folk musics from Scotland, Ireland and Slovakia, and their historical coalescence through the medium of contemporary jazz and improvised music. The project also draws upon intertwined musical paths of European folk traditions and their historical interplay with music from Africa, South America, and beyond.

Each musician has their own story to tell, both musically and culturally. Compositions, arrangements and improvisation distil into a story-telling musical narrative that reflects and combines music’s evolutionary journey and its ability to shine an honest light on the history of humanity as well as the present day human experience.

As such, Atlantic Road Trip presents a unique, ‘multi-angle’ take upon historical world events including Colonialism, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, The Highland Clearances, World Wars, and the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain - all of this reflected in the melding of folk music traditions within, and outside of the jazz idiom.

Indeed, the importance of cities such as Chicago as a cultural crucible in both the conservation and evolution of Celtic music, is to be recognized and celebrated. One can point to the efforts of people like Francis O’Neill, Chicago’s Chief of Police at the turn of the 20th Century, whose efforts in writing down and obsessively documenting the music played by Irish and Scottish immigrants, played a huge role not only in cementing the traditions into American culture, but in making the music, and it’s associated folklore available on the worldwide stage.

The ethos of the Atlantic Road Trip project recognises this spirit of artistic conservation and cultural sharing as one which should be ongoing to this day. As the music and the ideas evolve, so must the process of sharing.

FROM THE ARTISTS

Regarding the debut album ‘ONE’ (Calligram Records)

From Chad:

Shortly before the pandemic, Miro reached out to me about putting a band together with Paul - who he’d had a long-standing professional relationship with. The idea was a band to explore and blend folk music from the regions we each were from, and to fill out the group with rhythm section players in the regions where we were to perform. Of course, everything was seemingly cut short in March of 2020. Remarkably, we stayed in very close contact throughout the pandemic, and even remotely recording for the Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2021. We toured in the UK, Netherlands, and Belgium in late 2022, and again in Scotland in 2023 - it was during that tour that we recorded ONE. We’ll tour that record for 3 weeks during October of 2023 in the US. While booking this tour we were commissioned to write a large-scale work entitled Over Mountain, Under Sky featuring full big band and string orchestra. It’s been a collaborative process with an unbelievable amount of output stemming from this band - which speaks to how much trust and connection there is here in a VERY short amount of time - both on and off the bandstand.

The music on ONE is varied. There are some things deeply rooted in the Scottish tradition (albeit not always in the most traditional way), the Slovakian roots are widely prevalent, and through it all there is the American art form of jazz.

Alyn Cosker and Conor Murray were such pros throughout the entire tour and recording, they understood so much immediately about the direction and overall vibe of where we wanted the music to go.

Of my contributions:

The Other Fulton Street - one thing I love about touring is the ability and resources to revise and edit music. This is a fun, high energy tune that we use to open our sets.

Auburn - I wrote this about the end of the world (and about a short story by H. Beam Piper). It works wonderfully with vibraphone and flute.

Dreams of Matka - Inspired by some harmonic movements that Kenny Kirkland frequently used, the title refers to a canyon region in Macedonia.

From Paul:

Musical projects and endeavours which are truly and successfully collaborative are hard to come by. The main ingredients are trust, openness, optimism, imagination, inventiveness. You need to be on the same page as your co-conspirators, for the most part at least. And if not, acceptance and compromise should feel as natural a part of the creative process as anything else. With Atlantic Road Trip, I feel that we’ve found that balance.

In Scotland, there is a growing and evolving musical tradition built not only around its indigenous music, but around those who seek to collaborate across styles, genres, and continents. The resulting richness of experience for musicians, composers, and audiences alike demonstrates the need for musicians to be given the opportunity to collaborate in such a manner, in order for the music to truly grow.

In my experience, music really comes to life when cultural ideas are shared, explored, and given the opportunity to evolve and find a place in the hearts and minds of its audience, as well as the people who create it. Music has at its core, to be a community experience. It can show us what we have in common, and what makes us different. Then it becomes a vehicle for conveying its message in a direct and powerful way.

Our debut offering as a group explores these ideas. What happens when people are allowed the freedom to move, travel, exchange ideas, adapt and grow? How can we bring our diverse ideas together in a way that cuts to the heart of our shared experience as humans? I hope the music on ONE will invite the listener to reflect on these questions as we have done in creating it.

From Miro:

I was involved with both Chad and Paul over the last 15 years or so, in various projects, so I knew both of them quite well musically, but also personally and we developed relationships beyond the bandstand. In 2019, when thinking of a new band that I would love to be involved in and would represent the sound I had in mind, but also would be a true collaborative effort when it comes to bringing this project alive, I had to think of the people I would love to work with and spend time with over a longer period of time and I thought of bringing together Chad, myself and Paul. I knew that musically this would be a very inspiring endeavour and that proved to be true beyond my expectations.

Contribution for the album:

Hore Haj, Dolu Haj - is a Slovak traditional song about inequality between the rich upper class and the common man and a call for action in the fight against it. I liked the message, but also the melody and it is a great fit for the band.

Kopala Studienku, Pozerala do nej - is another traditional song, the melody of which served as a basis for the Slovak national anthem. This arrangement is based on a solo vibraphone version I wrote and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Upside Down - a straight ahead jazz tune that I wrote quite some time ago, featuring two different 12 bar forms for blowing.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services Private Trust Foundations, which include grants from the Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation (2020-2021; 2022-2023 seasons), the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation (2021-2022; 2022-2023 seasons), and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust (2021-2022; 2022-2023 season). Special concert event support provided by the Arts Midwest Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund grant (2022-2023 season). Activities are made possible in part by the Arts Organization Support (AOS), Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency (2023-2024 season).

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2023 seasons).

The Student and Home Grown Series concerts made possible, in part, with support from the ArtsEverywhere Grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Arts Project Support Grant and the Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission.