Improv Jazz Musician Puts his Faith in Wilton, for Hometown Support

Credit the Wilton Public Schools’ music program with launching the career of another professional musician. Nick Revel grew up in Wilton, graduating from Wilton High School in 2004. He took up strings in third grade, but it was a 4th grade experience with his music teacher that his earliest memorable musical moment happened.

“I started playing with Mr. Ribbens (I can’t remember his first name), often rehearsing in the hallway or the lobby. One day in early fall in 4th grade he pointed at me in the middle of orchestra rehearsal and said “YOU…are going to play in the school string trio!” That was my first moment of being recognized for my playing,” he says.

Revel now lives in New York City, and plays with PUBLIQuartet, an improvising, composing, genre-creating string quartet that explores interactive ways to present contemporary works, original compositions, and improvisations that expand what a ‘traditional’ string quartet can be.

The quartet has made its mark and gotten great recognition. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” had PUBLIQuartet improvise a live soundtrack during the entire 90-minute final Presidential Debate in 2016, and they’ve also performed onstage as the 2016-17 Quartet-In-Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Revel and his quartet-mates are recording their second album, Freedom and Faith, featuring and celebrating women composers past and present and exploring ideas of spirituality, resilience, and inspiration. Some of the composers whose work they’ll perform include Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Jessica Meyer, Shelley Washington, Hildegard von Bingen and many more. According to their webpage, they’ll do so “in true PQ style, delv[ing] into a sound world uniquely our own. You’ll hear jazz, bluegrass, tango, Gregorian chant…even whistles!”

To make it to the recording studio, they’re trying to raise funds through an indiegogo fundraiser, casting a net far and wide to reach their goal of $20,000. So far they have 170 backers who have donated almost $12,000 but they only have two more days for a final push for the other $8,000. They’re offering fun rewards like CDs and concert tickets.

Check out a little bit more about the project and consider helping Wilton’s hometown jazz violinist Revel and PUBLIQuartet make their goal by supporting their indiegogo project.