Rondo Sterling
Sprezzatura is the culmination of a year's time in the studio and the collaboration of a near dozen, young, professional musicians. Rondo, say? You might be surprised at the degree of talent and sheer performance velocity in this independent release from Louisville, KY.
One listen to the glidingly angelic harmonies in "Lordy Lordy" or the precisely unpredictable saxophone solo in "Clown Knife" and you'll know you're dealing with a new formula of skillful grace. "Flakes" is a catchy ballad with melodies you'll hum along to for days. Try not to bob your head to the dirty KY funk of "Skulletor" or the rotten romp "Diverticulitis." By the time you've soared with the rocking "Pistolier," and felt the chill of the darkly realistic "Smokestacks and the Smoke," you'll be reckoned with the Sterling. And what's more? It gets better with each listen.
And surely Sprezzatura is only the beginning. This is an album that will stay with you thanks to strong songwriting, eloquent lyricism, and professional production. All ten songs work together to give the listener close to an hour of diversified, spectacular music that is more than just popular. Call it fusion if you must, but the only real classification for Sprezzatura is that it's Sterling.
Rondo Sterling was initiated in 2002 by longtime friends Robert Scott and Adam Huffer in Louisville, Kentucky. Scott and Adam had just received degrees from the University of Louisville and Boston University, respectively, Scott's in English and Adam's in Music Theory/Saxophone Performance. May 2005 brought the band's first release, a self-titled 4 song EP that found significant radio play on 91.9 WFKP Louisville and 104.7 iRadio Los Angeles. This four song EP was thought of as B-Sides to the debut full-length album.
Through various incarnations Rondo Sterling has performed over 50 shows in many venues across the East, South, and Mid-West from Birdy's in Indianapolis, The Rudyard Kipling and Uncle Pleasant's in Louisville, to the 2004 Kentucky State Fair and 2005 International Bar-B-Q Festival, and the 10th annual Millenium Music Conference. Their stage prowess is lead by Adam Huffer's over 500 career public performances. In 2008 watch for performances at Headliner's Louisville, South Gate House, and a return trip to Birdy's, among others.
With a combination of humor, intelligent instrumentation and a flair for clever hooks, these Kentucky boys stir up the pop/rock formula. Just when you think there's nothing good to pipe through your speakers, along comes Rondo Sterling's Sprezzatura to save the day.