Philly-native Sacramento-based award-winning guitarist/composer/conductor/vocalist/ Derek Keller holds a Ph.D. in music composition and has been actively involved in the Sacramento avantgarde scene as a performer, teacher and curator for a while.
John Zorn's label Tzadik releases his 5th release "Impositions and Consequences", a 20 track CD (except for two, mostly very short pieces) that makes a point in drawing intersections between classical music and avantgarde music, utilizing drums, upright bass and cello, piano, mellotron, baritone sax a soprano and of course Keller's guitar playing (as well as a small tenor part he sings). The music is intense, daring and wild, juxtaposed, of course, by calmer pieces that however maintain the level of tension high throughout. Keller strums a steel guitar but also frantically plays his heavily distorted guitar (I can tell he must have a headbanging past). If you are familiar with Tzadik you obviously know what to expect and you also won't be surprised when Keller's klezmer influences slip through the cracks. Tzadik never fails to astonish for the originality of the releases and Keller's fits in well.