The Shrapnels were a trio formed in 2010 by drummer Keith Oltman, trumpet player Mike Miller and bass player Matt Mayer. The Shrapnels became a quartet in the Summer of 2012 with the addition of keyboard player, Mark Dempsey.
The Shrapnels perform music adapted to reflect the rich heritage of improvisational jazz. The group uses classic rock, funk, modern rock, pop, hip-hop, traditional music and jazz standards from the Real Book as launching points for individual and group improvisation.
Artists such as Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Wayne Shorter, the Police, Freddie Hubbard, Jaco Pastorious, Radiohead, the Meters, Duke Ellington, A Tribe Called Quest, James Brown, Phish, the Who, Led Zepplin, Kool in The Gang, the Beatles, the Beastie Boys, MMW, the Bad Plus and Tom Waits along with many other great artists are influences on the band. Many of these artists are featured in the live sets performed by the group.
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