Since the formation circa the turn of the century, the ensemble has gone through several style and personnel transitions. The consistent thread has been a strong display of musicianship, complex/dense song arrangements, and a DIY work ethic.[1]
The band formed around 1998 as a jazz fusion group with experimental tendencies. The founding members were Ryan Chindlund on drums, Robert Salihar on bass guitar and vocals, and Aaron Allietta on keyboards. Dan Haggerty and Scotty Kattenbraker were soon added as guitarists. The first album From The Blue Light House (1998) showcases this particular incarnation.
In the next year, the band had some significant personnel changes as guitarists Haggerty and Kattenbraker left to pursue other artistic ventures. The ensemble added a trumpet and saxophone, Mike Strazzulla and Jason Lavalle respectively. With the addition of horns, the jazz element was emphasized. Salihar remained as the main vocalist though Chindlund would perform the lead vocals on certain songs. The resulting work of this incarnation was the second album Rebirth of the Fool (1999.) The title is a word play on the Miles Davis album titled Birth of the Cool.
During 1999, the band performed several live shows but lost saxophonist Lavalle toward the end of the year. The band continued as a four piece until guitarist Rob Heinz and saxophonist Tim Sandusky joined in late 1999.
2000 proved to be a major transition for the band as many new members were added. Guitarists David Gallagher and David Bowers replaced guitarist Rob Heinz. Second drummer James Gallagher and trumpeter Matt Topic concurrently joined also. Much of the reason for this increase in personnel was in preparation for Zappening 2000,[2] a festival held in tribute to Frank Zappa. The bill included bands with Zappa band alumni and notable acts with Zappa flavor.
After Zappening 2000 Dave Gallagher, Dave Bowers, James Gallagher, and Matt Topic all became official members as their other project (Dave's Tune) ceased performing. Soon after, violinist Chris Grant joined, thus making Oucho Sparks a ten-member band. This period produced the most Frank Zappa influenced music.[3]
Silver Daddy Cover
By 2001 Oucho Sparks started to emphasize the progressive rock element of their sound. After dropping Mike Strazzulla, Chris Grant, and Matt Topic, the band embarked on recording Silver Daddy (2001.) This album is mostly instrumental and features some of the most advanced instrumental arrangements with sparse vocals by Salihar and Chindlund.[4] Two songs from Silver Daddy ("Gropus" and "Floigan") appear in the 2002 filmUrban Ground Squirrels.[5]
Except for Ballistico Fest, Oucho Sparks as a music project was unseen from 2003-2007. During that period, the band reformed once again and decided to take a more vocal-focused approach. In late 2003 the band started a new recording to help define the musical direction. Laura Grey joined to provide female vocals, while former saxophonist Tim Sandusky took over lead male vocals. In order to properly record this album, Tim Sandusky and cohorts built a recording studio in Chicago now known as Studio Ballistico. The album Foreign Cars and Robots was completed near the end of 2006. This album marked the modern age of Oucho Sparks and supporting shows in 2007 reflect this.[1]
The project has been largely inactive since 2009.
Live concerts
The band throughout its incarnations has been known for its "over the top" live shows involving props and theatrics. Currently Oucho Sparks desires theaters and alternative performance spaces for the multimedia show.[9] A live concert was released on the official website in 2009, and free on YouTube.com.[10]
