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Jambands.com
AllAboutJazz.com
TimeOutNY.com
Jambands.com Show Review:
5-26 Tonic, NYC
-Jesse Jarnow
In the first half of the 20th century, jazz musicians like Duke Ellington
and Louis Armstrong toured with ever-morphing orchestras comprised of
the finest players of the day. Mike Rivard's Club d'Elf revives that tradition,
albeit on a smaller scale, for the early 21st. Foraying only occasionally
from Rivard's native Boston, the band's lineup for their recent jaunt
to Manhattan's Tonic included regulars like turntablist Mister Rourke
and percussionist Brahim Fribgane, as well as local buddies keyboardist
John Medeski and guitarist Marc Ribot. <more>
AllAboutJazz.com Review:
Live: Vassar Chapel 2/26/01
-Nils Jacobson
Boston area bassist Mike Rivard has led a running jam at the Lizard Lounge
for over five years now, which is an impressive tenure for such an exploratory
project. Club d'Elf, as the adventure is known, released its double-disc
debut, As Above, in 2001 to critical acclaim; this year's output includes
three (count 'em, three) more double-disc live sets recorded live in Athens,
GA; New York City; and Poughkeepsie, NY, respectively. The ultra-low budget
packaging leaves something to be desired, but the contents are infinitely
more important. <more>
TimeOutNY.com: Heads Up
Led by bassist Mike Rivard (formerly of Either/Orchestra, Morphine and
the Story), Boston collective Club D'Elf begins in the gray area between
Live Dead and Get Up with It and heads for uncharted territory on its
newly issued Live Vassar Chapel 2/26/01 (Kufala). That set benefits from
the contributions of oud player Brahim Fribgane and violinist Mat Maneri,
neither of whom will be on hand tonight; still, with John Medeski making
a return visit and friends like Marc Ribot and Adam Deitch dropping by,
plenty of sparks should fly.
Glide Magazine
Picks 2003
Glide Magazine
Glide Magazine Best of 2003: Artists Perspective
-Eric Ward
If you want to find the pulse of a culture, discover where the innovators
are finding inspiration. So with that in mind, we decided to go right
to the source and ask some of our favorite artists what they enjoyed most
over the past year. Since Glide covers a diverse helping of artforms,
we sought out a truly eclectic mix and asked them all sorts of questions,
ranging from great music to great moments. <more>
Glide Magazine
-Eric Ward
Five years ago, Mike Rivard set out to create an ongoing experiment. What
if his bassline could be the constant focal point, a musical lighthouse,
where a rotating cast of allstars including John Medeski, DJ Logic, and
the late Mark Sandman, could come together, listen, and be free to just
go off to wherever they wanted to lead the music, creating a perfect balance
of chaos and order. It seemed simple enough, but if there is one thing
you learn from being engulfed in Club d'Elf music, it's that simple in
no way means basic. <more>
Relix Magazine
Jambands.com
MyRootDown.com
Stuff@Nite
AllAboutJazz.com
Jambands.com
DailyLocal.com
RedandBlack.com
Fairfield County Weekly
Online Athens
Flagpole
Jambase.com
Boston Metro
Relix Magazine
-Jeremy Goodwin
A little after two AM—over two hours after main stage headliner Lake Trout
called it a night-Club D’Elf began methodically shredding the late night
tent at the Creekside Jamboree into tiny pieces.<more>
Jambands.com
-David Weston (from the Urban Spacemen)
If you are ever in Boston, go to the Lizard Lounge, Thursday nights, Club
D'elf, not so much of a band but fluid experimentation, its the brain
child of the bass player and along with the regular drummer and percussionist
they lay down some amazing grooves that guest soloists add to. You never
know what you are going to get but I have never been disappointed. Every
time I make it over to MA I try and catch them. Lizard Lounge itself is
also exactly the type of venue I would like to see in the UK, funky little
dive with some great beer (Anchor Steam!) and an open policy to the entertainment
on offer.
MyRootDown.com
-Shawn Dos Santos
Mike Rivard is the driving force behind some of the best music that you
may have never heard of. He assembled his group Club d'Elf as a forum
for live dub-trance-groove excursions, incorporating electronica, hip
hop, funk, and free jazz as well as Moroccan and West African trance traditions...<more>
Stuff@Nite
21 Best Things To Do In Boston After Midnight
-Scott Kathan
The second set of Club d'Elf at the Lizard Lounge: Club d'Elf are a rotating
collective of some of the best and most innovative musicians in town,
fronted by smooth-cat bassist Mike Rivard, a/k/a Micro Vard. They usually
play every alternate Thursday, and their second set, which generally starts
at midnight, has become known as one of the most smolderingly inventive
musical experiences in the city. Check it out.
AllAboutJazz.com
June 1 , 2002
Club d'Elf As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge)
-Chris M. Slawecki
Club d’Elf is currently in the midst
of a Pennsylvania / New York club tour in support of As Above, live documentation
of their rather incredible sound on two CDs...>
Jambands.com
April 4, 2002
Club d'Elf, Mercury Lounge, NYC—3/31/02
-Jesse Jarnow
The old dude was clearly out of his
gourd. But he was also a red herring...>
DailyLocal.com
March 30, 2002
A bit of everything at the TLA tonight
-Denny Dyroff
For several years, the musical aggregate
known as Club d'Elf has been building a fan base in the Boston area...>
RedandBlack.com
March 28, 2002
Walking a thin line between order and chaos
-David Kross
Club d'Elf puts musical risks and
unpredictability aside to give listeners a wild ride...>
Fairfield County Weekly
March 28, 2002
Past Future: Club d'Elf plays god with musical styles old and new
-Brita Brundage
The next time someone says, "There's
no good music today," I'm handing him a copy of As Above: Live at the
Lizard Lounge...>
Online Athens
March 27, 2002
Entranced by d'Elf
-Julie Powell
Long before music became a business
venture, the African rhythms now associated with reggae, funk, jazz, hip-hop,
rock and almost everything else popular in American music were part of
an essential cultural spiritual celebration and release...>
Flagpole
March 27, 2002
Mike Rivard Explains d'Elf's Deep Rooted Grooves
-Ballard Lesemann
In creating an ultra-modern hybrid
of dub trance, Moroccan Berber music electronica, jazz, and trip-hop,
Boston-based improvisational ensemble Club D'Elf ventures way out...>
Jambase.com
January 30, 2002
Join the Club this weekend in Penna
-Brian Lee Feld Getz
Club d'Elf, the interchanging exploratory
avant-garde ensemble from Boston, is invading Pennsylvania for four shows
this weekend, on tour with Elf collaborator Dr. Didg...>>
Boston Metro
January 24, 2002
"Club d'Elf: A Musical Meeting of Spirits"
-Paul Robicheau
A first-call session bassist who
has worked with the Story and Shawn Colvin as well as Natraj and Either/Orchestra,
Mike Rivard is the guiding force behind Club d'Elf, a dub-jazz-trance-groove
collective that is growing...>>
WoMag
Jambase.com
Boston Globe
Global Bass Online
Signal to Noise Magazine
Jambase.com
Boston Phoenix
Northeast Performer Magazine
Bass Player Magazine
NYROCK
Philadelphia City Paper
Jambase.com
Boston Phoenix
Enetronic.com
AllAboutJazz.com
PauseRecord.com
Providence Phoenix
Boston Phoenix
Stuff @ Night
Jambands.com
Improper Bostonian
WoMag (Worcester Magazine)
December 4 , 2001
"d'Elf Awareness"
-Noah Schaffer
Almost every time Club d'Elf performs, the
lineup of the musicians changes. For leader and bassist Mike Rivard, the
rotating lineup is a necessity...>>
Jambase.com
September 19 , 2001
"Happy To Know That Some People Are Mad":
Mike Rivard and Club d'Elf
-Whitney Youngs
One place where you might find jazz aficionados,
electronica addicts, hip-hop enthusiasts, and admirers of the avante-gard
all congregated under the same roof is at a Club d'Elf show...>>
Boston Globe
Calendar Magazine
September 20 , 2001
Here's a Boston band that you don't want to miss: Club d'Elf
-Jonathan Perry
Club d'Elf is the thrilling, musically omnivorous
brainchild of veteran bassist Mike Rivard...>>
Global Bass Online
June, 2001
Mike Rivard ~ Boston's Best
- Brett-Anthony Johnson
In a popular magazine from many years ago, I
read an article about a well-known songwriter and pop artist who was asked
about his unlikely success and uncanny skill at crafting hit songs...>>
Signal to Noise Magazine
Summer, 2001
Elfin' Magic
- Pete Gershon
Leading his ensemble Club d'Elf, bassist Mike
Rivard alshemizes a unique strain of improvisational trance-dub, spiced
with jazz, electronica, funk, and rock with a loose collective of friends
from around the Boston area and beyond...>>
Jambase.com
May 30, 2001
A Great Night on Norfolk Street
-Howie Greenberg
It's still a few weeks before the heat truly
descends on NYC, turning the remnants of garbage on the streets into it's
annual glob of sour mash. For now, we're in a bit of a cold and wet spell
but I find that all the more reason to transcend physical reality with
a bit of live music...>>
Boston Phoenix
May 18 , 2001
Best Music Poll
Best Local DJ/Electronic Act: Club d'Elf
Groovin'
It's a testament to Club d'Elf's versatility
that they were nominated in two Best Music Poll categories this year—Best
Local Jam Band and DJ/Electronic—and they probably could have
fit into a couple more...>>
Northeast Performer Magazine
April, 2001
Club d'Elf
- Pete Hanlon
On occasion, the Columbus Theater in Rhode Island
puts on its best face. A Sunday in February was one such example...>>
Bass Player Magazine
April 2001 Issue
Club d'Elf
As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge)
(Grapeshot Media/Live Archive)
-Harvey Pekar
Didjeridoo and turntable players—and even
an accordianist—show up on this two-CD set...>>
NYROCK
March 22, 2001
Street Beat
Club d'Elf
As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge)
(Grapeshot Media/Live Archive)
-Bill Ribas
If you watched the Ken Burn's Jazz special
on PBS, you might have thought jazz was headed for the graveyard after
ailing for the last 30 or 40 years...>>
Philadelphia City Paper
March 8, 2001
Disc
Dance/Electronica
Club d'Elf
As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge)
(Grapeshot Media/Live Archive)
-Sean O'Neal
In Philadelphia we get our instrumental improv
fix from Slipping Into Sublimity. Up in Cambridge, MA, they've got Club
d'Elf...>>
Jambase.com
March 3, 2001
Club d'Elf / 2.28 / New York City
-Howie Greenberg
I sometimes like to pretend I'm listening to
a song I've heard a few hundred times as if it were the first...>>
Boston Phoenix
March 1 , 2001
Live & On Record
Miles of Music: Club d'Elf
-Michael Endleman
A week ago Thursday, Club d’Elf celebrated
both the release of its debut disc, As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge)
(Live Archive), and three years of regular performances at the intimate
Mass. Ave. nightspot...>>
Enetronic.com
March 1, 2001
Club d'Elf
As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge) 2 CD Set
(Grapeshot Media/Live Archive)
Club d'Elf. for those who haven't heard of
them, is a live electro/rock/jazz outfit from Massachusetts fronted by
veteran bassist Mike Rivard...>>
AllAboutJazz.com
March 1 , 2001
Club d'Elf's As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge) 2 CD Set
-Nils Jacobson
The groove runs deep and long on As Above,
a 2-disc set from Club d'Elf. Voyaging through realms of electronica,
ethnic percussion, and dirty funk, As Above pays exquisite attention
to the beat...>>
PauseRecord.com
February 20-26, 2001
CD of the Week:
Club d'Elf's As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge) 2 CD Set
-da Flower Punk
Terence McKenna used to speak about the "alien
machine elves" one could meet in certain circumstances that could
introduce one to the realms of the universe(s) that the usual consciousness
tends to block out...>>
Providence Phoenix
February 23, 2001
8 Days a Week
-Jim Macnie
Sometimes, regardless of style, you can feel
a sense of community in a piece of music...>>
Boston Phoenix
February 23, 2001
Pick of the Week
Bassist Mike Rivard (a/k/a Micro Vard) was
ahead of the curve in anticipating that DJ culture and the neo-hippie
funk/jam-band scene had more in common than they might've thought...>>
Stuff @ Night
February 13, 2001
Groove Chemistry: Feeling the Love from Club d'Elf
-Johnathan Perry
Question: What do The Simpsons, Saturday
Night Live, and Club d'Elf have in common? Answer: more than you might
think...>>
Jambands.com
February 1 , 2001
Club d'Elf
As Above (Live at the Lizard Lounge) 2 CD Set
-Christopher Orman
"One can read Blake and have read Milton,
Shakespeare, I mean everything...>>
Improper Bostonian
January 31, 2001
Elf Power
Club d'Elf's revolving cast of genre-splicing virtuosos get submolecular
onstage and on disc.
-Paul Robicheau
Musicians gather in a circle around Mike Rivard's
pulsing electric or acoustic bass...>>
Bass Player Magazine
Bass Player Magazine
August, 2000
Mike Rivard: Groove Chameleon
-Ed Friedland
Boston's Mike Rivard has developed a big niche
for his bass approach. "I try to be as versatile as possible,"
he explains...>>
Boston Herald
Boston Herald
February 5, 1999
Scene
Club D'Elf marks 1 year
Boston Beat
-Tristram Lozaw
A well-versed player, Michael Rivard follows
a range of music from hip-hop, altered beats and DJ tracks to West African
and traditional music, with a little Bill Laswell and avant jazz in between...>>
Boston Sunday Globe
Northeast Performer
Boston Magazine - August 1998
The Boston Phoenix
Soundboard Magazine
The Boston Phoenix
The Boston Globe
Boston Sunday Globe
November 22, 1998
City Weekly
ON THE RISE
Band's members, music in state of flux
Bassist Mike Rivard is a pro. He's worked with
a long list of top names like Paula Cole, the Story, and Mark Sandman
(of Morphine), to name a few...>>
Northeast Performer
September 1998
Club D'elf, 1st set
Lizard Lounge
Cambridge, MA July 30th, 1998
The "All Star Game" Effect - First observed in
certain high-energy fusion groups of the '70s, this phenomenon typically
occurs when a collection of highly talented individual musicians play
together in an open ended format...>>
Boston Magazine - August
1998
Best of Boston
Best Band, Cutting Edge: Club d'Elf
The sound of the future is here...>>
The Boston Phoenix
July 24, 1998
Arts Section
JAZZ... The dub-wise jazz jamming experiments
of Mike Rivard (aka Micro Vard) and his Club d'Elf night at the Lizard
Lounge continue...>>
Soundboard Magazine
Issue #5 May/June 1998
Sunday, March 24, 1998
Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA
-George Drake
You knew it was a special evening as you walked
down the stairs, and entered the main basement-cum-living room area of
the Lizard Lounge...>>
The Boston Phoenix
February 20, 1998
Arts Section
State of the Art
Sandman Clubs Elf
"Music can serve as a springboard for alternate
consciousness if you play long enough and get into a trance spot," explains
bassist Mike Rivard...>>
The Boston Globe
February 7,1998
Living/Arts Section
Mike Rivard Stages a Jam at Lizard Lounge
-Paul Robicheau
CAMBRIDGE - Local bassist Mike Rivard envisioned
Club d'Elf, an event staged at the Lizard Lounge Thursday, as a "live
remix session" for rehearsed grooves...>>