Meet the StringFusion Band Members

Sarah Alexander, (Cellist) is a frequent recitalist, orchestral performer, and chamber musician. Orchestras she has soloed with include the Chicago String Ensemble, the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, and many others. Sarah joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at the age of twelve, and has served as principal cellist for many orchestras, including the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra. She has been presented in recital by WFMT’s “Live from Studio One”, the MacDowell Arts Society, the Spanish Consulate, and other organizations too numerous to mention.  Sarah is very involved with modern music, performing over 60 world premieres to date; in addition to “classical music”, she also plays many different styles of world music. A devoted chamber player, she is the cellist for Lingua Musica and T.I.M.E.  In addition to the cello, she also performs on the violoncello piccolo. Sarah would like to thank her family, friends, and sulcata for their patience with all of her musical endeavors.

Maurice Houston (Bass) began his musical training at a the early age of 5 years old. As a child, Maurice benefited from the musical family around him. This includes the great trumpeter Tiny Davis, Maurice's grandmother. Maurice's professional career began early and led him to work with such greats as Stanley Turrentine, Phyllis Hyman, Cherrelle & Alexander O'Neil, Melba Moore and R. Kelley and Delion Richards.

Maurice can be heard on classic recordings with The Staple Singers and the Dells. Currently, he performs and records with Michael Henderson and Nick Colione.

In addition to being one of the finest bassists in Chicago, Maurice is a great vocalist, guitarist and drummer. As the owner and sound engineer for the recording studio "Studio M", Maurice has recorded such great artists as the Emotions and Bobby Blue Bland.

Steve Doyle (Guitar) has been playing guitar for over 25 years, in styles ranging from Big Band Jazz to Power Trio Blues. He started on trombone in grade school and in seventh grade he switched to electric guitar, because it was the only instrument louder than a trombone. He is equally adept at electric and acoustic guitar, dobro, lap steel and mandolin. He is well-versed in multiple styles and teaches  a variety of classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Currently, he plays guitar with Ulele, The Fat Guys, Lush Budget, The Hoyle Brothers and plays Dobro with the Whiskey Hollow Bluegrass Band. Steve holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Composition from Northern Illinois University.

Kevin O'Connell (Keyboards) started piano at age 4. As a young professional jazz pianist, Kevin worked in trio and quartet formats in Ann Arbor and  Detroit, including engagements in Germany. He subsequently performed in Michigan with Larry Coryell, Johnny Hartman and then moved to New York where he was asked to be in Clifford Jordan's quartet. He worked and recorded with Clifford  ("Live at Ethell's" on MapleShade Records and "Royal Ballads" on Criss Cross) for 6 years and also worked and recorded with master drummer Vernel Fournier's trio for 8 years ("Vernel Fournier Trio" on TCB records). In New York, he also performed with such notables as Philly Joe Jones, Billy Hart, Junior Cook, Victor Sproles, Richard Davis, Andy Bey, Joe Lee Wilson, Walter Booker and Charles Davis, at clubs such as the Blue Note, Birdland, Condon's, the Star and Garter, and Barry Harris' Cultural Theater. Kevin did extensive engagements with Vernel's trio in Tokyo's Ginza, Switzerland and Paris. He also accompanied many New York singers, including Roseanna Vitro, Judy Niemack, ChrisCalloway, Jody Sandhaus, Melissa Hamilton.

Since moving with his wife and two girls to Chicago in 1993, he has worked in Chicago's jazz clubs in trio and quartet formats with Larry Kohut, Larry Gray, Jim Cox, Phil Gratteau, Mo Jennings, Greg Sergo, Joel Spencer, Rusty Jones, Robert Shy, John Bishop, Greg Fishman and others. He also continues to accompany singers such as Stephanie Browning and Eden Atwood.

Inderjeet Sidhu (Percussion/Drums) has been playing hand percussion and drums for over 30 years. Inderjeet started his quest to involve himself physically and spiritually with the rhythms that surrounded his world at an early age. While not yet in high school, Inderjeet traveled to India to study Indian Classical music and Sikh Kirtan music with Sudhir Kushal, one of India's most educated and learned musicians. When he returned to the USA, Inderjeet studied tabla with Ustad Allah Rakha (Ravi Shankar's Tabla player) and Allah Rakah's son, Ustad Zakir Hussain. Learning from two generations of the world's most famous Indian classical tabla musicians, Inderjeet then took lessons with Pat Metheny's drummer Paul Wertico. With this incredible arsenal of musical ideas, Inderjeet started to incorporate eastern and western styles of music while drumming with rock and jazz bands throughout Chicagoland. He then started teaching all aspects of poly-rhythmic theory and time-signature definition to all percussionists from all parts of the world. In 1996, he was invited to play with at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Inderjeet Sidhu works with are Phil Circle Band, Jack Salamander and the Deep Chicago Rhythm Owls. Currently, as the drummer for MWC and various other groups in Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and in the Gulf Coast of Florida. Inderjeet Sidhu holds several degrees including a Masters from the University of West Florida.

Michael Levin (Saxophone/Flute/Clarinet)is one of the finest saxophone players in Chicago. Equally adept at the clarinet and flute, Mike has the ability to play in many different styles of music and is in great demand on the Chicago music scene. He has performed and/or recorded with Barrett Deems, Jerry Goodman, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Clark Terry, Oscar Brown, Jr., Charlie Musselwhite, Jim Post, Ivan Neville, The Supremes, Hamid Drake, Bobby Vinton, David Amram, Diane Schuur, The Mills Brothers, Steve Cole, Ben Vereen, David Bromberg, Nell Carter, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Lingua Musica, Cerqua Rivera Art Experience, Doug Lofstrom and the New Quartet, The Revolution Ensemble, The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Ethos Chamber Orchestra and many others. His solos are prominently featured in recordings by producers of Chicago House Music such as Terry Hunter, Jere McAllister, Glenn Underground, and Paul Johnson. He has performances range from numerous clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest, as well as being featured in theatrical productions and commercials and industrial productions. He holds an M.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

David Rush (Drums /Percussion) is adept at almost every drum and percussion instrument including Conga, Steel Drums, Marimba, Tabla, Gamelon and Bodhran.

He studied at Northern Illinois University on a full performance scholarship, then moved west to perform and study with the California Institute of the Arts Faculty Ensemble 20th century players. His teachers include A.C. O’Connor (Black Earth Ensemble) and Ruth Underwood (Frank Zappa’s Band). Professionally David has performed and recorded with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, country artists such as Byron Berline and Johnny Crawford, world music with Jamaican Breeze Ensemble and rock with Alice Peacock.

Photo Credit: Robert Rottschalk

Edgar Gabriel (Violin) is a musician in great demand due to his ability to play many styles on the violin. He has performed with such diverse groups as Mannheim Steamroller, Chicago Opera Theater and The Big Apple Circus. Edgar has worked in many theaters including Steppenwolf, where in 1994 he led an on-stage string quartet in "A Clockwork Orange." Recently, Edgar's versatility has won him positions with the world renown Cirque du Soleil. In 2002 Edgar worked in Las Vegas with their Mystère show, and toured with Dralion in 2003. Edgar can be heard playing Irish fiddle and mandolin with The Chicago Rovers, Edgar has recently become the electric violinist with the reformed 1960-70's rock, funk, fusion band, The Flock. Edgar Gabriel is the other violinist in Rachel Barton's string trio Stringendo, along with Brandon Vamos on cello. Their CD "Storming the Citadel," is available on Cacophony Records. In 1998, Edgar released a CD with virtuoso pianist Greg Lawrence entitled, "The Gabriel-Lawrence Inventions". This CD is available on Density Records. As a founding member of the 3rd Coast String Quartet, Edgar arranged and composed many original works for string quartet.

He continues to write and arrange music for strings, other instruments and voices.  Most recently, Edgar has created a system to teach improvisation, fiddling and other styles of music not usually taught with the traditional classical repertoire. He calls this String Groove™, which he teaches in courses and workshops throughout the country.

Edgar is on the faculty of William Rainey Harper College, to teach String Groove. Edgar holds an undergraduate degree in music from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from DePaul University. For more information visit www.edgargabriel.com