“Vortex Park is one of the most unique and interesting new bands I’ve heard in the last decade!”
~ Wildman Steve, Owner / Program Director, Wildman Steve Radio
“...so cool!!! Refreshing. So many different sounds, rhythms, concepts all blending. It works!! How
did [they] think it all up? I’m at a loss for words. Just all wiggly to listen again and play it on air more.”
~ Linda Johnson, Disc Jockey, KAXE 91.7, Grand Rapids, MN
"Really Cool, Original Sounding Album!"
~ Oliver Wood, The Wood Brothers
“Vortex Park is here and here to stay. With their mix of pop/jazz/bluegrass influences, we could have
a new music genre. See them now before the rest of the world jumps on for the ride.”
~ Nick Parsons “English Nick”, ROCK 100.5 Disc Jockey
VORTEX PARK was founded in 2005 when singer/songwriter/guitarist, Alex Wolf, teamed up with double bassist, Justin Roberts, and began playing the Atlanta local scene. With Roberts’ solid and thumping bass lines and Wolf’s thoughtful lyrics, unique guitar technique, and extremely eclectic writing styles, Vortex Park made an early impression on its audiences with their dynamic acoustic act. Brad Stott and Rurik Nunan later joined, adding a dynamic rhythmic presence on percussion and a wailing and melodic violin, giving Vortex Park depth and emotion that continue to attract new and diverse audiences. Wolf made a move from acoustic to electric guitar, and then they were joined by star-drummer, Noel Felty, evolving the project into a much bigger, bolder sound, which led them off the smaller cafe-type venues (Red Light Cafe, Kavarna, Alcove Gallery) and onto more medium size venues such as Five Spot, The Earl, Smith’s Olde Bar, Krog Jam, Vinyl, Three Bears, Stella Blue, Rocket Room, Eyedrum, Eigth & Rail, and more.
As Vortex Park continues to evolve and receive loyal support, the band members’ determination and dedication to creating an exciting, relevant and unique experience for their fans has even further strengthened.
ALEX WOLF - Guitar and Lead Vocals - Returning to the stage in 2006 after a 11-year hiatus from playing out live, Wolf makes good use of his vast array of influences in order to write unique, eclectic songs with lyrics that range from story-telling to political relevance to raw emotional confession. As a seasoned guitarist of 25+ years, Wolf’s guitar work shows much experience with the determination to really “go for it” as well. In the early nineties, Wolf fronted Athens-based grungy-groovy rock band, Both Sides, who shared the stage with many great artists, most notably Widespread Panic and Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, played most of the finer stages in the regional southeast and recorded with legendary producer/engineer, Johnny Sandlin. Wolf was born on August 20, 1970 in Washington D.C.
JUSTIN ROBERTS - Double Bass and Backing Vocals - Roberts started off playing guitar in the Atlanta-based rock band, To Whom It Concerns, who won a number of competitions that lead to a sponsorship from Miller Lite and went on to play Lollapalooza 2003, the Riverbend Festival and 99x Big Rock opening for The Roots and The Donnas. Then Roberts began playing double bass in the bluegrass band, Smokey’s Farmland Band, which played Harvest Festival 2004 with Medeski, Martin & Wood, Tony Rice, Derek Trucks, Bob Weir and others. Roberts makes use of his rock and bluegrass influences in order to provide Vortex Park with a solid, thumping foundation with the natural ability to find the choice notes and accents that help make the music even more interesting. Roberts was born on February 25, 1978 in, Alabama.
RURIK NUNAN - Violin and Backing Vocals - Nunan was born on March 17, 1983 in Moscow, Russia to an American father and Russian mother. Soon afterwards, he moved to Atlanta, GA and began studying classical violin at the age of four. In addition to his experience performing in various youth orchestras, Rurik was exposed to a wide range of folk music such as Balkan, Greek, Russian, and of course, the many sounds of American folk and popular music. After four years at Loyola University of New Orleans and complete immersion in classic jazz, Cajun music, and modern New Orleans jazz and funk, Nunan’s musical palette was replete with the many styles and influences that he now draws on in his playing. In addition to Vortex Park, Nunan plays in a variety of other settings and frequently adds his violin to projects ranging from bluegrass to progressive rock.
BRAD STOTT - Percussion - Stott was born in Michigan in the late 70s and started studying percussion at age 10 through the local school system. Throughout high school, he was lucky enough to travel the US and Europe competing and performing while studying under several esteemed members of the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble including Dave Zerbe (Aretha Franklin, Michael Feinstein) and Doug Corella (The Verve Pipe, The Cells). While pursuing an engineering degree, Stott added further diversity to his musical influences by studying Jazz and Latin music under Mike Irish (Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Bellson, Dave Samuels) and playing with several jazz and latin combos. In 2001, Stott moved to Atlanta and focused his musical energy on guitar for a few years until he was inspired to dust off his drums and contribute to the unique sound that is Vortex Park.
NOEL FELTY - Drums - Born on June 3, 1972. Felty studied Classical music and percussion for several years with Byron Hedgepeth, Director of Percussion Studies at UNCA. His first paying gigs were when he was only 15 with Swing & Big Bands. Noel played drums for Both Sides in the early 90’s with Wolf in Athens, GA. Noel went on to play for such acclaimed musicians as Col Bruce Hampton, Catfish Jenkins, Beth Wood, Jupiter Coyote, Patrick Smith Band, Kai-Zen, Lefty Hathaway, Francisco Vidal, Blue Dogs, Allgood, Lindsey Wodjik, Avery Dylan, Common Saints Trio, John Keane, Charlie Wooton and many more. Felty also is a composer; his composition “Fade” was featured on the television program “Random One”. He has shared the stage with many musicians, most notably: Dirty Dozen Brass Band, ARU, Jeff Sipe, Edwin Mcain, Jewel, Travis Tritt, Count Mbutu, Rusted Root, Darius Rucker, Toad the Wet Sproket, North Mississippi Allstars, Zac Brown Band, Vertical Horizon, Spyro Gyra, and more. Felty brings to the Vortex Park arrangement his impeccable technique and tasty, unique ideas for rhythm and musicality.
PRESS
EXAMINER 12/6/2011: Sometimes a band comes along that is so contradictory in its style that it leaves one incredulous. Vortex Park is a group full of lush, complex, sounds. Sometimes funky, often beautiful, and stacked with realism, with enough lyrical wit and rhythm to take them anywhere, Vortex Park could take themselves as seriously as they wanted.
But then they wouldn’t be Vortex Park.
Many bands say they make music for the fun of it, but most still have their eye on a prize which would propel them quickly from the local womb from which they originated. However, the communal undertone of the Atlanta music scene is not lost on a band that accepts tips on their website, bundles albums and tickets together, and has a list of every person that has contributed to the success of their full-length LP, Follow the Elephant.
A band made up of talent that drifts like dust from group to group, Vortex Park may be elusive but once heard inescapable. Dizzying fiddle care of Rurik Nunan, a man that has obviously been doing this for twenty years (he has- just ask him) and a holy trinity rhythm section featuring Justin Roberts on double bass, Brad Scott on percussion and Noel Felty on drums provide the foundation for sexy, danceable tracks, radio-ready if not for perhaps their inability to be categorized.
But while record store goons are busy trying to pick a spot to stick them, front man Alex Wolf is laying down intelligent lines that take two or three listens to digest, like a nervous man at a bar spitting come-ons too fast for his prey. The contrast of Wolf's utterly real, soft-then raspy vocals (and just enough guitar to vamp up the rock factor) with the sweet-heat of gypsy-hippy funk endears Vortex Park to the listener the first time through. There is something for everyone here; the song Can’t Deny comes off as a sneaky little seduction, while the title track Follow the Elephant speaks emotional volumes as a battle cry for the disenchanted.
For those that have grown tired of the cookie-cutter and still appreciate heart-felt lyrics worn on the sleeve, Vortex Park holds a glimmer of hope- even if it is as fleeting as their performances.
I AM ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE 9/1/2011: Vortex Park's latest EP, Follow The Elephant, is a great project for those who are fans of truely creative music. The album is a combination of Gypsy style Jazz and Folk music, making for an interesting and fun project to listen to.
Vortex opens up the album with a nicely produced and very energetic song titled, "Through a Hole." The fiddle is really nice on this one, and the guitar and drum arrangements show off the musicians' skills. The lead vocalist has a pure and rich tone that compliments the music well, and if you're into riddles, the songwriting will definitely pique your interests. I listened to this one three times trying to crack the message in it before moving on.
The album's title track, “Follow The Elephant,” can only be classified awesome musically. The tune is a cross between Jazz and Classic Rock and shows just how talented this band of musicians is. Again, all the instruments are in perfect position to compliment the lead vocalist, but the songwriting is a little too "creative" for my tastes. Nonetheless, I thought it had a great sound to it and deserves to be heard.
Overall, Vortex Park is an awesome band of musicians whose album has a very cool and eclectic sound to it. While I'm not a fan of songwriting that is so creative only the writer understands it, I do like this band and so do tons of other people. You should check them out because they're pretty darn good.
RADIOPOTATO 5/4/2011: This Gypsy rocker track [Through a Hole] had a nice seductive appeal to it, in a Bohemian, Eastern European revolution sort of way, mixed with solid rock esthetics. I’m always a sucker for violins and strings in songs, and the playing in this track is solid and dynamic. Once the track got to the last build at 4:07 to the end, the Bohemian revolt was in full effect. Great track.
WNCW INTERVIEW on Local Color with Host Laura Blackley on 2/13/11:
RADIOPOTATO Top 5 Songs of January 2011 2/2/11: Opening for Tony Lucca, I caught these guys performing as a duo at Vinyl in Atlanta. Only a stand-up bass, an acoustic guitar, and vocals on stage, the richness of Alt Jazz sounds with a stripped set was captivating. “Through a Hole” has a decidedly jazzy beat, sophisticated strings, and ominous vocals and harmonies, this unique arrangement has caught the attention of over 8,000 viewers of the “chat roulette” style video performance. Front man, Alex Wolf is the mastermind behind this creative emerging band out of Atlanta. Dare I say, reminiscent of Faith No More’s theatrical rock?
EVIL SPONGE 4/22/08: Atlanta’s Vortex Park, is a group which I have seen previously. However, it has been many months since the last time I encountered them, and I was eager to see how they had matured and changed in the intervening time. Currently a four piece with vocals/guitar, stand up bass, drums, and violin, Vortex Park’s music can be hard to pin down upon first listen. The easiest way to describe this act is to say that they have both gypsy and jazz influences which are accentuated by syncopated rhythms. In particular, their third song, a tune called No Compromise, demonstrated the above characteristics in abundance. This one was simply lovely, with a longish melodic interlude in the middle which played the mournful violin part against the other instruments in something reminiscent of Ferocious Bubbles. Conversely, in one of the songs in the latter part of their set the violin showed a slightly different dimension, with an almost funk-like sound, which was nicely done if a bit unexpected. By the time they left the stage, I was convinced that Vortex Park has certainly matured as a cohesivegroup and they definitely have a distinctive and unusual sound for a local Atlanta band. Certainly this is one to listen for, especially if you are looking for something a little offbeat and not caught up in a musical land of effects and pedals.
THE CORNER NEWS 3/11/08: Strings, strings and more strings - this is Atlanta-based band Vortex Park’s focus in which they center their diverse abilities as a musical quartet. Their performance on Friday night at Eighth & Rail was not your average rock show, your average jam session, or your average jazz club experience. There was something among all those varieties that not only allowed them to combine the genres, but to break through them to form something simple, charming and different from the sometimes banal Auburn-Opelika musical arena. The large double bass is the first stage item that catches the spectator’s eyes, and the jazz deeply rooted in Justin Roberts’ style of play sets a smooth line for the audience to mock-strum the table as if it really were so large an instrument. Next, Rurik Nunan’s violin takes on many forms, flowing from neo-classical violin through one song to a bluegrass-fiddle the next, charming the audience’s ears. The percussion is present in the form of drums and bongos with Brad Stott keeping the beat behind them and a rhythm for the dance floor. Alex Wolf, guitarist and vocalist for has quite a repertoire of acoustic styles. He completes the string section with his folk, Americana, jazz and Latin riffs, allowing the listeners catch an array of sweet acoustic styles.
"Follow the Elephant" is Vortex Park's first full-length studio album released on 2/26/2011. It was recorded at Tree Sound and Namaste Studios in the Atlanta, Georgia area and was produced by 2011 Grammy Nomiee, Nick Chahwala. The album was funded in part by Vortex Park's fans who pre-purchased the album in a special package, including their names to be worked into the artowrk on the album cover. Click here to view all of the contributors to the album. Guest musicians on the ablum are Joe McGuinness (guitar & vocals on Gypsy Metropolis), Leah Calvert (vocals on Disappear), Amber Gannon (cello on Disappear), Ulrika Lindstrom and Prisca Strother (vocals on Can't Deny), and Nick Chahwala (vocals on Yellow Flowers).
Thank you for supporting Vortex Park and original music and art.
