Flounder

In Memoriam Clifford Childers 2023
May he Rest In Peace
David, Tim and Randy plan to play on in other forms and fashion
Goodbye Cliff, We Love You
*******

Flounder, consisting of David Dvorin (guitar/modular synthesizer), Randy McKean (saxophone and bass clarinet), Clifford Childers (bass trumpet, trombone, harmonica and euphonium), and Tim Bulkley (drums), formed in 2018 after a highly successful concert at California State University, Chico’s Zingg Recital Hall, where Dvorin is a Professor of Music. The collaboration was so enjoyable that the four musicians decided to keep the project going, naming the group “Flounder” after Dvorin’s composition “I’m the Flounder” (itself a nod towards John Lennon’s “I Am the Walrus”). Since then, the group has gone on to present their special blend of Space Age Jazz, Mid-Century Blues, and classical chamber music throughout their native Northern California, performing in diverse venues ranging from concert halls to jazz clubs. Part of the ensemble’s distinctive sound comes from its unusual instrumentation – a combination of the retro and the futuristic – with traditional orchestral wind instruments, vintage electric guitars, acoustic drums, and even the wild electronic sounds of the modular synthesizer all sharing the sonic landscape. Taking into account that each player also doubles on multiple instruments that are pulled out for specific pieces of music, the quartet can sound like a much bigger band.

Flounder’s debut album, “I’m the Flounder,” released in September 2021 from Cure-All Records, highlights Dvorin’s obsession with twisting and re-imagining classic blues and jazz forms.  The Dust Bowl-themed “Hard Luck Blues,” and the emotive “Persistence Blues” alternate with the hard-swinging shuffle of “Trick Knee,” and the post-bop rhythmic surprises of “Sucker Punch” and “The Crooked Mile.”   Other play-filled highlights include “The Crab,” a crustaceously soon-to-be classic Cha-Cha; “Space Age,” a percolating, synth and sample-fueled nod to America’s mid-century space exploration; and the chamberesque “Cut Strings,” inspired by the original story of Pinocchio.

Find out more at www.daviddvorin.com/flounder