"They have great chops and a great sense of humour, and they seem to play just about everything." -Nate Dorward, Cadence

"The Respect Sextet brings the swagger of a retro-swing band to music that ranges from free-bop to freak-out jazz...a band on the rise.” -One Final Note

"[Respect] challenges and instigates. It delightfully confounds. This is world-class American jazz at its finest and freest. It's pure truth. Respect the truth. " -Frank De Blase, City Newspaper

"Nothing is good, I see, without Respect. Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day!" -William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

Formed in 2001, The Respect Sextet is a powerhouse ensemble dedicated to performing a wide variety of improvisational musics. Relying on their explosive energy, rare telepathy, outstanding musicianship, and a deep friendship, Respect pieces together free improvisations, original compositions, free jazz classics, television commercial jingles, text pieces, jazz standards, game pieces and more into “a whirling collage,” shouts Exclaim! Magazine, “that ransacks and reshapes the entire jazz tradition, from New Orleans march to Misha Mengelberg, Sun Ra to Charlie Parker.”

The group comprises Josh Rutner (reeds, radio, toys), Eli Asher (trumpet, toys), James Hirschfeld (trombone, toys), Malcolm Kirby (bass), Red Wierenga (piano, keyboard, accordion) and Ted Poor (drums). After releasing three limited-edition live CDs, (respect.), (respectacle.), and mini-CD (respookt.), Respect introduced The Full Respect, a studio mélange in which “all those outlandish musical gestures and experiments,” as critic Chad Oliveiri wrote, “are distilled into a frighteningly efficient package.” The Full Respect was named #3 Jazz CD of the Year by Jazz 90.1fm, and music from the album was featured in the short film Who's Your Daddy?, an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, 2004.

In January, 2005, Respect released Respect In You, a free-wheeling live recording featuring guest bassist Matt Clohesy. The album received rave reviews from jazz magazines including Cadence, Paris Transatlantic, Exclaim! and Coda, and was listed in several as one of 2005’s 10 best records.

“Forget about the wan, self-conscious eclecticism that’s the bane of the current jazz scene,” wrote Nate Dorward, “this is the real deal, burning hard and bright.”

The Respect Sextet, through its eclecticism, its devotion to improvisation, its predilection towards swing, and its use of toys and “little instruments,” has drawn comparisons both to New Dutch Swing and the AACM. Many dialectics are at work (or play) in Respect's music, in which the serious, heady, and intellectual mingle with the light, comic, and absurd, where compositions alternate with improvisations, and where tight ensemble work coexists with loose, empathic interplay.

Eli Asher {trumpet}

Eli Asher, the oldest and most educated member of Respect, transcended his humble beginnings in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and went on to receive degrees from Princeton University and the Eastman School of Music. Eli, who has performed in Manchester, England, with the Eastman Trumpet Quartet, and in New York with the Scenery Ensemble and others, is also a member of G.B.A. (which also includes former Respect member Garrett Michaelsen and occasional Respect guest Jason Price). He currently lives in New York.
Breaking news: Re-entering the Western capitalist world, Eli has given up Zen and macrobiotics for a commodity that offers both. (Note: The Respect Sextet does not officially endorse this product.)

James Hirschfeld {trombone}

James Hirschfeld, 24, is the trombonist and a founding member of The Respect Sextet. In addition to playing trombone, James also plays melodica, percussion and toys. His compositions appear on The Full Respect and are performed regularly by “Respect.” In addition to “Respect,” James has performed and/or recorded with Alarm Will Sound, Tactus, Electric Medicine, Six Types of Ambiguity, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, and his own groups. Current goals include expanding the audience for improvised music and bringing it to people outside of New York City. James holds a degree in jazz and a Performer’s Certificate in classical performance from the Eastman School of Music.

Malcolm Kirby {bass}

Malcolm Kirby, Jr., a native of Rochester, is a highly regarded performer, composer and producer. He is co-owner of 4-5-6 Productions, developing scores for commercial and film projects. He performs, records, and tours with "sacred steel" masters Campbell Brothers and also performs with the Dave Rivello Ensemble, Trio East, and the Mamiko Kitaura Trio. Malcolm has performed with Fred Wesley, Marcus Printup, John Medeski, Steve Gadd, DJ Logic, Jon Faddis, and Ben Monder. He attended the Manhattan School of Music and earned his bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music. He is assistant professor of music recording at Finger Lakes Community College.

Ted Poor {drums}

Ted Poor graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 2003 where he earned his BM in Jazz Performance and taught on the faculty of the Community Education Division. While at Eastman, Ted studied drum set Rich Thompson and percussion with John Beck.

Now a resident of New York City, Ted performs and records a variety of music with many different ensembles. For the past several years he has worked with the guitarist Ben Monder’s Quartet and played on Monder’s most recent CD, "Oceana" (featuring Kermit Driscoll, Skuli Sverrison and Theo Bleckman).

Ted is also a member of trumpeter Cuong Vu’s trio (with bassist Stomu Takeishi), with whom Ted tours Europe and the US. Their recent CD, "It's Mostly Residual," features guitarist Bill Frisell.

Ted is a member of groups based outside of NYC as well. He plays with the Rochester based trio Paradigm Shift and performed on their latest release “Shifting Times” (Nagel Heyer Records) featuring Joe Locke, Wycliffe Gordon and Marcus Printup. Ted also plays with Jerseyband and Neos--experimental groups that were formed at Eastman.

Josh Rutner {Sax, Melodica, Toys}

Josh Rutner grew up in sunny Rochester, NY. He studied saxophone and improvisation with David Pope (a former student of Yusef Lateef), and attended the Eastman School of Music, receiving his degree in Jazz Performance in 2003. Spontaneity and humor pervade Josh’s playing. Steeped in jazz and improvisation, Josh also has a great deal of experience playing salsa & merengue, R&B, and eastern European folk music. Josh currently lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where he is a member of several ensembles including The Respect Sextet, The Andre Canniere Group, Teeth, Six Types of Ambiguity, FLAP, and Electric Medicine.www.joshrutner.com

Red Wierenga {piano, accordion, melodica, toys}

Red Wierenga is a pianist/accordionist/respectronicist/improviser currently based in New York City. He performs regularly with the Respect Sextet, Dave Crowell and Naked Brunch, SPIN, and others, and as the leader of his own groups, including The Wierenga Maneuver.

Wierenga received his Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, where his teachers included Harold Danko and Ralph Alessi. During his time at Eastman, Wierenga appeared as soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastman School Studio Orchestra and Ossia. He also performed in duo and small group settings with Dave Holland, Wycliffe Gordon, Ben Monder and others. While at Eastman, Wierenga researched several lesser-known historical jazz pianists, including Richard Twardzik and Herbie Nichols, transcribing, arranging and performing their music. After graduating from Eastman in 2002, Wierenga served as on-air host on Jazz90.1, Rochester’s jazz radio station, while maintaining an active performance schedule, playing as a soloist and with the Respect Sextet, the Dave Rivello Ensemble, the Red Wierenga Unit, and others.

In 2004 Wierenga moved to the Netherlands, where he studied electronic and computer music at the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. There he studied with Joel Ryan and designed and built the first Respectron, a novel physical interface for gestural control of electronic music.

Since moving to New York City in 2005, Wierenga has established a vigorous performance agenda while composing for the Respect Sextet and the Wierenga Maneuver and continuing development on the Respectron. www.redwierenga.com

Matt Clohesy {special guest bassist on Respect In You}

Matt Clohesy, Australian bassist living in NYC, left Melbourne in 2001. Since then, Matt has been gigging and recording with artists including Geoffrey Keezer, Ingrid Jensen, Maria Schneider, Eric Alexander, Joel Frahm, Diego Urcola, Eric Person, Will Vinson, Lage Lund, Matt Shulman, Kendrick Scott, Gretchen Parlato, David Schnitter, Manuel Valera, Ernesto Simpson and Paulette McWilliams. Prior to moving to New York, Matt received a Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and worked with Australian artists including Dale Barlow, Mike Nock, Joe Chindamo, Vince Jones and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.