| The Kinky Kwartet | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tabernacle, NJ, USA |
| Genres | Barbershop music, Jazz, Doo-wop |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Lokananta (with Bubi Chen) Self-Released |
| Associated acts | Bubi Chen The Kinky Kwartet |
The Kwartet, formed in 2009, is an a capella group from Tabernacle, New Jersey. The band consists of members: Menotti Aristone (Ernest), Jeff Horner (Willard), Nick Rubino (Herman), and William Ford (Louie). Their first EP, Enter the Cactus, was released on July 19, 2011. The band is currently planning its second tour in East Africa and recording its second album, Tempura And Kidney Stones.
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The band formed in 2009, initially under the name "The Kwartet." Two notable differences from the modern-day group were the lineup (Dean Rottau was a member, later replaced by Billy Ford) and their genre- jazz. As the backing band on a rerelease by Bubi Chen, an Indonesian musician, the Kwartet made their label-debut on the Lokananta label.[1][2] A two-year hiatus put them out of the public spotlight and, despite performing local gigs at local talent shows and karaoke clubs, the band went unbooked for the next two years.
The reformed Kwartet re-emerged as the Kinky Kwartet in the late spring of 2011. Replacing Dean Rottau with Billy Ford, modifying their band name, and adopting a new, oldies repertoire, the band put together an EP of cover songs titled Enter the Cactus, including covers of Wham!'s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, The Temptations' My Girl, and The Foundations' Build Me Up Buttercup. While the release generated no buzz in the United States, it shot to the top of the music charts in eastern Africa, including a brief 2-week run at #6 in Djibouti.[3]
During the summer, the band embarked on the tour taking them through three cities in Africa and one show in Eritrea, where they were featured in a local artist's music video.[4] A fifth show was scheduled in Somalia, but threats from Somalian warlords forced cancellation.
Although the band separated when each member went to college, the group is currently recording and marketing its next release, Tempura and Kidney Stones, which will be released on March 6, 2012. The album is much like their previous release, comprised mainly of cover songs. Aside from a performance at Djibouti's Fest'Horn[5], the group announced other concert dates in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and New Jersey.[6] While the December 2011 press release implied a more traditional, barbershop-quartet style in the forthcoming album, rumors have circulated on a jazz album in the works.
| (2009) |
(While performing with Bubi Chen.)
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|---|---|
| (2009-June 2011) |
(Original lineup for the Kwartet and Kinky Kwartet.)
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| (June 2011-present) |
(Lineup for 2011 tour and recording sessions.)
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