Carter O'Brien, Rhythm Guitar
Rhythm guitarist Carter O'Brien is a Chicago native. He studied classical piano for years in grade school, was distracted by organized sports during high school, then felt the unquenchable spark to make music re-ignite his soul at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in his late teens.
He has spent the past decade exploring diverse musical styles ranging from West African and Afro-Cuban polyrhythms to American folk music, jam bands, blues, funk and jazz, and now quite happily has found a band that incorporates and breathes fresh life into all these influences, in the time-honored and open-minded musical tradition of Django Reinhardt and the gypsies.
It goes without saying that the musical guidance of bandleader Alfonso Ponticelli has been a tremendous inspiration to continually summon the necessary spirit and perspiration required to play gypsy jazz, for which he is eternally grateful.
Also an avid cyclist and occasional homebrewer, he can also be seen pedaling furiously along Chicago's lakefront with a cookin' version of Django's Rythm Futur in his head!