Artist Description
"Stamper, himself, resides in the intersection of a variety of things – between pop and experiment, between formal elegance and confessional self-expression, between the improvisatory flow of jazz and the rigors of classical composition. It’s the kind of balancing act that makes choosing one thing over another seem cloddish."-Dusted Magazine
Joshua Stamper is a restless composer and remarkably active collaborator. Equally at home in the jazz, classical, avant-garde, and indie/alternative worlds, he has worked extensively with such luminaries as Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Twin Sister, Robyn Hitchcock, Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Keven Shea (Mostly Other People Do The Killing), Rogerio Boccato, Kurt Weisman, etc.
In his own work, he creates rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic textures that move like water bugs skittering across a pond—at once mysterious, humorous, and beguiling. The music is a study of contrast and cohesion: a collection of seemingly unmarryable qualities that exist happily ever after. Meticulous arrangements are woven through group improvisations while noble beauty is matched step for step by rambunctious playfulness.
