Saxophone Cartel more than a brass band

The Saxophone Cartel, a local saxophone sextet, will be featured on 'Live from Bloomington,' a CD which hits shelves later this spring. The cartel' s main focus is on creating a unique sound using an array of different instruments. The brainchild of cartel composer Benjamin Himpel, the group came together in 2003 after Himpel found "very good woodwind players with the right mindsets." Himpel takes advantage of each player's musical background to create what the groups calls "The Saxophone Cartel sound." \nThe six members formed the band in early 2003. Since then, they have played at a variety of venues -- local radio station WFHB, Gallery West, Ford Hall, the Indiana Memorial Union and other places around campus. \nThe sextet includes junior Ariel Alexander and graduate students Joshua Goldberg, Colin Renick, Michael Eaton and Matt Cashdollar -- all of whom play up to four instruments each.\n"We are not only using the usual members of the saxophone family, soprano, alto, tenor and baritone," Himpel said, "but we are also incorporating clarinet, bass clarinet, flute and other instruments and IU's bass saxophone."\nThe wide variety of instruments gives the group freedom to improvise and create a sound not common to other saxophone groups.\n"The Saxophone Cartel's sound, so far, is a passionate mix of jazz, classical and free … improvisation with some occasional 'world' or 'ethnic' sounds included," said Eaton, the tenor sax and clarinet player.\nThe group creates "The Saxophone Cartel sound" by utilizing its diverse repertoire and playing Renick and Himpel's original compositions. In addition, each player has dabbled in almost every kind of music, from hip hop to jazz to classical to salsa, giving the group a diverse sound. Cashdollar, the bands tenor sax and clarinet player, said the sound makes it difficult for members to identify the group with one particular sound. \n"We don't really fit into one single genre, which is one of the most exciting attractions to our music," Cashdollar said. \nOne of the cartel's fans, Bloomington resident David Miller, said it's their ability to put on a good show that may give them that extra edge needed to make it in the music business. \nMiller is a close friend of the band members and said their performances are "precise and exuberant, colorful and creative."\n"If they continue to perform and record together, their future career could hopefully take them to New York City, and ultimately around the world," Miller said.\nFor more information about the group, visit www.saxophonecartel.web1000.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Laura Glesing at lglesing@indiana.edu.