UnityGroup: Find out about us

UnityGroup: About Us Bios
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UnityGroup is an exciting, eclectic world music ensemble that has captivated audiences of all ages with it's dynamic and heartfelt performances. UG blends contemporary American improvisation with rhythms and melodies from around the world, including the Caribbean, West Africa, the Mid-East, Australia, and Asia. To add depth to the music, the band's musicians play many unusual and exotic instruments, such as Trinidadian steel pans, African drums, and Australian didgeridoos. The unique result is a passionate, energetic music of spirit and celebration.

Rob Weinberger, who has been called "a soulful saxophonist who plays with passionate intensity," formed the band in 1997 in upstate New York. An experienced creative artist, Rob had composed for and collaborated with notable modern dance choreographers such as Bill T. Jones and drummed West African dance music with Percival Borde. Familiar with roots-based music, Rob performed and recorded for ten years in the NYC Lower East Side music scene with groups as diverse as The Worms, Blues Traveler, and Joan Osborne. He currently plays saxes, flutes, whistles, second steel pan, djembe, shekere, didgeridoos, kalimba, timbales, and assorted percussion in the band. Collaborating with the most talented musical artists from Binghamton, New York, Rob formed a band that could play anything from anywhere.

Guitarist Harris Thor has always followed his own musical path as a soloist and colorist. At times, he employs complex electronic effects and synthesizers, but largely prefers the singing tone of a simple guitar/amp combination. A consummate craftsman, Harris also makes and plays his own guitars in the band.

Bassist Joseph Perkins has been active in the New York music scene for twenty years, adding an authoritative groove that has "New York City" written all over it.

The band's solid drummer, Jim Rosati, has been playing drums since the age of 3, and. has performed with many regional and national jazz greats, including Freddie Hubbard, Slam Stewart, Jay Leonhart, and Slide Hampton.

UnityGroup percussionist/lead pan artist Nate Brown, adds a unique island sound to their music. Nate began playing percussion at the age of 8 with his uncle's Caribbean and jazz band. Under the instruction of pan Master Kim Loy Wong, Nate became one of the founding members of the Harlem Maestros Steel Orchestra, performing Caribbean music as well as R & B and jazz on the steel pan. A talented congero, Nate has also performed and recorded percussion with renowned jazz artists such as Rufus Reid and Ed Cherry. "to create music that lifts spirits and strengthen souls."

Bios:

ROBERT WEINBERGER (Saxophones, Flutes, Shekere, Didgeridoo, Kalimba, Congas, Djembe, Djun Djun, Steel Pan, Percussion): Robert has been a vital member of many different musical and dance ensembles since he began performing creative music in 1974. An experienced improvisational artist, Robert has been called "a soulful saxophonist who plays with passionate intensity." Robert composed for and collaborated with notable modern dance choreographers Bill T. Jones, Arnie Zane, Lois Welk, Deborah Miller, Jill Becker, and Deborah Gladstein. He drummed West African and Caribbean dance music with Percival Borde and Caren Calder. Robert performed and recorded for ten years in the NYC Lower East Side music scene with groups as diverse as The Worms, Blues Traveler, and Joan Osborne. In 1990 Robert moved to Puerto Rico where he spent a year performing both American and Latin music with various ensembles. Upon returning to the mainland he joined Sylvain Leroux and the Maintenance Crew, an exciting and influential World Music ensemble whose performances and recordings were well-received by audiences throughout the East Coast. He relocated to upstate New York in 1994 where he has been active in all aspects of the regional musical community as a composer, arranger, teacher, and performer. Robert enjoys playing all styles of music. In addition to his experience in World Music, he has recorded and performed with classical, jazz, Dixieland, fusion, avant-garde, Latin, folk, rhythm and blues, and rock ensembles. Robert currently teaches flute and saxophone as a member of Binghamton, NY's Community Music Center, and aesthetics and creativity in the public schools as an artist affiliated with Southern Tier Institute for Arts Education. In addition to his music endeavors, Robert has a second career in the healing arts. He manages an active homeopathy practice, which provides a unique, holistic opportunity for transformational growth and healing for people afflicted by illness and injury. In 1997 Robert created UnityGroup to provide a vehicle for his and Sylvain Leroux's music of spirit and celebration. The band's first CD, released in November of 1998, has received critical acclaim and extensive radio airplay from regional jazz, world, and independent music stations.

HARRIS THOR (Guitar): As guitarist, bassist, composer, arranger, audio engineer, and custom instrument maker, Harris has shown his versatility for live performance in such genres as Blues, Fusion, Classic Rock, Pop, R&B, Country, New Age, Jazz and Experimental Music. Harris also plays banjo, harmonica, mandolin, and lap steel, and enjoys computer graphic artwork and architectural design. In addition to many self-published works, he has performed his original fusion compositions on national public television and radio. In his own words: "Live performance of improvised music is satisfying in that it is a direct route to the soul." Harris became a member of UnityGroup early in 1998. A few of Harris's musical influences are Balinese Classical music, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Seeger, Morton Subotnik, Eric Clapton, Leo Kotke, Johnny Winter and Carlos Montoya. Original compositions/arrangements, recordings and performances with: The Cerbonaughts (Todd Bludeau), The Screaming Headlines (Marc Rando/Geoff Edwards/Greg Loveria), The Second Hand (Greg O'Brien/Andy Horowitz/Paul Gordon), Second Nature (Dick Mindemann/Rick Marsi/Rich Briere/Jeff Davis) and other individual artists such as Daniel Ansell, Jimmy Clune, Boris Matiss. For a complete listing, please see Harris's bio sheet.

Owner-operator of the HG Thor Guitar Lab of Vestal, NY, a guitar, bass, and electronic service center, Harris makes and plays his own guitars/amps and sound systems. He employs complex electronic effects and synthesizers openly yet judiciously, taking care to give them their own voice. Harris has been a professional carpenter and residential reconstruction engineer since 1977, when during a period in Washington DC he renovated brownstones with his partner and friend Brad Brooks. He is currently building his own house which he designed and is living in with his lovely wife Debra and young son Tristan. Harris is currently president of Easy Motion Inc., the manufacturer of the Woodwiz® Splitter, an invention which his father Harry and he had worked to develop since 1978. Both Harris's mother Iris and he run the company and the splitter is a featured product in both major catalogs and on the internet.

NATE BROWN (Congas, Djembe, Bongos, Timbales, Steel Pans): Nate Brown began playing percussion at the age of 8 with his uncle's Caribbean and jazz band. As a teen he performed with the Travelers Drum & Bugle Corps in New York City. Under the instruction of pan Master Kim Loy Wong Nate became one of the founding members of the Harlem Maestros Steel Orchestra, performing Caribbean music as well as R & B and jazz on the steel pan. In 1975 Nate joined the Afro-Caribbean Dance Theater Workshop Program at Binghamton University which was directed by Percival Borde. Nate continued his study of world music at the University of IFE in Lagos, Nigeria, performing at Festac "77" in Nigeria. Upon his return to the U.S. Nate became musical director for the Kuumba Cultural Arts Center in Binghamton. Besides his World Music experience, Nate has also performed and recorded with renowned jazz artists such as Rufus Ried and Ed Cherry. With his addition to UnityGroup in 1999 the band has grown more formidable in its ability "to create music that lifts spirits and strengthen souls."

JIM ROSATI (Drums): Jim has been playing drums since the age of 3. He has performed with many regional and national jazz greats, including Freddie Hubbard, Slam Stewart, Jay Leonhart, Slide Hampton and Dick De Pofi. Jim is experienced in diverse styles of music ranging from hardcore funk to dixieland to soul. Currently he teaches percussion and drums in Binghamton, NY where he performs in the local music scene. Jim joined UnityGroup in the spring of 1997.

JOSEPH PERKINS (Bass): Joseph has been active in the upstate New York music scene for over twenty years as a member of countless popular music ensembles. His powerful bass has added a singular spark of percussive energy to virtually every group with which he has performed. Joseph has been performing with UnityGroup since the autumn of 1997. Recorded with Joe Bonner and Douglas Jackson on - "First Breath". Performances with his early mentor, blues guitarist Roosevelt Dean, the versatile Marco Marcinko and the late great, Billy Fuster. Early musical influences have been from Verdine White from Earth, Wind, Fire, Larry Graham from Sly and Family Stone and Jaco Pastorius, and John Patitucci.
He has been introduced and applauded as the" Bassman Extraordinaire".