Club d'Elf & Mono Means One

Club d'Elf & Mono Means One

Sat 8/23

5pm doors/6pm show

All Ages | $20 adv./$25 day of

Club d’Elf has been helping audiences lose track of time for twenty seven years with its mesmerizing synthesis of Moroccan traditional music and electronic, dubbed-out funk. Circling about bassist/composer Mike Rivard, each Club d’Elf performance features a different line-up, drawn from a constellation of some of the most creative improvisers from the jazz, DJ, rock & world music scenes of Boston, NYC and beyond. Named Jazz Act of 2023 in the Boston Music Awards, the bands music draws from a startlingly wide spectrum of styles that goes beyond any single category, including hip hop, electronica, avant garde, prog-rock and dub. Under the tutelage of member Brahim Fribgane (who was born in Casablanca) the band absorbed Moroccan trance music, which is now an essential part of the mix. Fribgane passed away in early 2024, but his spirit lives on in the music, particularly in Rivard’s commanding playing of the Moroccan sintir – an instrument he learned to play through the guidance of Fribgane, as well as Gnawa masters Hassan Hakmoun and Mahmoud Guinia. Trance forms the central core of the Club d’Elf aesthetic, weaving together the band’s various influences.

The bands most recent album, ‘You Never Know’ (2022), garnered critical acclaim and rose to #2 on the Relix chart. The record unfurls upon kaleidoscopic clouds of spiced smoke, shifting from chopped dub-jazz through trance epics that reimagine Boston as a city of bazaars. Club d’Elf pay tribute to the music and musicians who have been primary influences, with half the album being covers of Gnawa, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Moroccan band Nass el-Ghiwane, and Frank Zappa. The other half consists of original music inspired by Rivard’s personal journey into darkness following a near death experience in the remote jungle of the Peruvian Amazon. Sessions for a new album began in January 2024, with a Fall 2025 release expected.

Mono Means One is a psychedelic prog trio and the brainchild of bassist and composer John Ferrara, best known as the bass player and co-founder of the acclaimed world fusion band “Consider the Source.” Mono Means One’s sound contains melancholic melodies, rich sonic textures with Drum 'N’ Bass grooves and Mathrock sensibilities. Half composed and half improvised, the music is often dark, with moments of calm serenity and other times heavy, oscillating between chill grooves to almost unbearable intensity. Originally composed entirely on the bass guitar, John paired up with Rob Madore (Drums) and Isaac Young (Keys) to add intensely nuanced beats with futuristic colorful sonic textures. All three members produce a sound that is powerful and unique all to their own. 

Ferrara has been dubbed the “Unsung Genius” of bass tapping by bass sensation Charles Berthoud, is a teacher at Scotts Bass Lessons, and has been featured in Bass Magazine, NoTreble, Bass Musician magazine among many other publications. 

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Press Room - Upstairs, 77 Daniel Street, Portsmouth, United States