AMALGAMATION

Over the past four years Amalgamation has revived the creative element of the Mississippi Delta in the unexpected manifestation of jazz and rock.The term Amalgamation reflects the band members’ wide range of musical styles that combine to create their unmistakable sound. The motley members contribute Jazz, Rock, Blues, and Pop influences that fuse to form a new and interesting amalgam of sound. Amalgamation’s music is edgy and complex, spanning dynamically from whispering pianos to screaming fortes. Although there are centralized concepts and melodies, the band’s original compositions are expressively based around group and individual improvisation. The spontaneous nature of their music makes each performance engaging, exciting and uniquely different from the next. The band has cultivated their art in such a manner to allow them to reach listeners of all walks of life who have embraced the unlikely, yet passionate sound of this intrepid ensemble. In just the four years of the band’s existence, Amalgamation has released their debut EP “Therefore” (2009) and recently recorded their forthcoming full-length album “Factual Reality” (Spring 2012). Ryan Betz - Saxophone/Piano Betz was born in Missouri, grew up in North Carolina, and currently lives in Cleveland, Mississippi. His influences include classical, jazz, blues, alternative rock, and classic rock. During high school he moved to Jackson, MS where he hooked up with several other talented youth and played steady jazz gigs in the area. After graduating high school, Betz went to Delta State, where he was principal saxophonist in the jazz and wind ensembles. In the Mississippi Delta he began to explore the blues and joined the David Lee Durham and the True Blues Band. Graduating with a degree in Political Science, Betz is interested in American Democracy and has served the country as an intern in the U.S. Senate and an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Betz plays a Selmer Mark VI alto sax, Meyer mouthpiece and Vandoran reeds.