The Oscillators (l-r): Glen Oliff, John Lee, Charles Ostle, and Matt Rippetoe

Charles Ostle is becoming one of the more sought after drummers in D.C.'s jazz scene, especially amongst the crop of younger players that have emerged over the past few years. In addition to performing with groups such as Inner Loop, Motel, and others, Ostle also chose to start his own band, a relatively rare step for a drummer to take. His group, The Oscillators, will be releasing its debut album, Beat Tectonics, on September 7th at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge.

Ostle studied piano as a young child, but the drumset has been his main instrument since his middle school days. His earliest influences were The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, Led Zeppelin, and Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales. After hearing drumming icon Tony Williams on Miles Davis’s classic, Four & More Ostle decided to follow his muse through jazz. As a musician, he also benefited from formal studies in mallet percussion throughout college and has studied with some of the best drumming teachers in the country, including Joe Morello, John Ramsay, and Steve Fidyk.

The Oscillators features Ostle on drums and electronics, bassist Glen Oliff, as well as Three Stars alums Matt Rippetoe and the ubiquitous John Lee on saxophone and guitar, respectively. The recently profiled Rob Coltun, musician and owner of the Bossa Bistro & Lounge, acted as executive producer of Beat Tectonics while Doug Derryberry, who has worked with everyone from O.A.R. to Bruce Hornsby, engineered the recording. The album is a strong example of contemporary jazz fusion. The compositions incorporate the odd-meters and angular melodies characteristic of the genre, but the ensemble never sacrifices a strong groove for instrumental pyrotechnics.

Visit Charles and The Oscillators online at:: www.myspace.com/charlesostle; www.myspace.com/oscillatorsdc

See them next: September 7, 2008 at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 6:30 p.m.

Charles Ostle

Questions for Charles:

How did The Oscillators first come together? What was your vision for the band?

We came together because I had to put a band together for my graduate recital at UMD. I had played a gig with Glen Oliff and John Lee and loved the way the three of us played as a unit. We had an uncannily similar approach toward playing music. I wanted to add a tenor sax into the group and Glen then suggested Matt Rippetoe. After the four of us played through my material I knew this was the sound I was after. The four of us have a deep appreciation for jazz, funk, rock, electronica, and Latin music etc., which is crucial to the band’s sound and vision.

It's not often that a drummer acts as a bandleader. Are there any particular challenges you face in that role?

As a drummer I look at composition in a completely different way. I usually begin the writing process by hearing a rhythm or a bass line in my head and using that as a canvas, as opposed to beginning with a melody or a chord progression. Of course, the guys in The Oscillators really bring the music to life and give the parts their own unique signature.

What were your goals as far as the recording was concerned?

I wanted to capture the band’s live sound and energy on the album. We recorded the entire album in two days and did some minimal overdubs after the fact. We collaborated with some great people during the process which, I believe, resulted in a nice clean sounding recording.

How did you assemble the material for the album? What was your compositional approach?

The material on the album is made up of seven of my strongest tunes along with a great tune from John. I feel more like the principal composer for this group rather than the drummer. I often don’t know what the drum part is going to be until we’ve had a chance to “shed” the tunes.

Where else do you play around town?

We have played at The Takoma Park Jazz Festival, Tryst, Wonderland Ballroom, Bossa, Domku, The Space, The Quarry House, and several private functions. We’ve been focusing on finishing the album for the past 10 months and haven’t been playing too many gigs, but now that it’s finished we’ll be booking more.

What are your short and long term goals as far as your CD and performing?

Our intention, now that our CD is done, is to play more often in the D.C. metro area with more club and festival dates. Additionally, we feel like our intended listening audience is broader than the jazz audience exclusively. It is our goal to reach the audience that normally wouldn’t buy an instrumental album, or go see an instrumental group.

What are your thoughts on the District's jazz scene? Who are the musicians you most enjoy, both in terms of listening and performance?

D.C. has a great music and jazz scene. There are talented players all over town. The problem is that there isn’t a large audience for creative music. Perhaps they’re out there, but we’ll just have to figure out how to reach them because we feel like we’ve got a sound that a lot of people would like and could relate to.