The Homeland Security Orchestra (the H.S.O. for short) started as an acid jazz project in the fall of 2002, but ended up somewhere in the psychedelic jazz arena. Conceived of by drummer and percussionist KarlHaas and vibraphonist Alfred Marra, once the membership was finalized with Alexis Foreman on 6 string bass, the individual styles of the musicians when put together added up to something that didn't really fit into any one category. The rarity of the instrumentation (vibes, bass and drums with effects) and unique individual styles (each member being an active freelance musician in the area in addition) gives the group a natural texture that is unparalleled. With influences anywherefrom 20th and 21st century avant-garde composers to the downtown NYC jazz scene and to psychedelic and funk music the sound of the trio is at once raw, yet sophisticated and intelligent, sometimes completely surreal bordering on noise yet with an impulsive and natural groove that playing together for 4 years creates. The H.S.O. has played major venues in Boston including Harper’s Ferry and The Wonder Bar and others in the New England area. Their repertoire consists mainly of originals written by Alfred Marra (also an active composer of modern concert music in the Boston new music scene) and Karl Haas, a few select standards and covers, and free jazz. The collective focus on intelligent improvisation always leads the group into undiscovered regions of the compositions giving the listener something new each time with the substance to validate further listening.
THE HOMELAND SECURITY ORCHESTRA