Rob Flax

Rob Flax possesses a rare combination of skills: he is an award-winning virtuoso violinist, classically trained but known for his jazz and improvisational pyrotechnics and irresistible grooves; he is also a powerhouse vocalist, capable of silky crooning a la Nat King Cole or visceral Chicago blues shouts.

Rob has performed nationally and internationally with groups of many different styles, sharing the stage with artists such as B.B. King, Tower of Power, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Jacob Collier, and many others. He has played upright bass in an Argentine tango ensemble, mandolin and fiddle in various bluegrass bands, electric violin in several rock bands, done collaborations with modern dancers, and more. As a composer Rob has written music for choreographers, film (including work on projects for James Franco and Anthony Bourdain), and several original projects. Rob is a graduate of the New England Conservatory, and he currently lives in Boston, MA.

For many years Rob performed mostly solo—it takes a special kind of musician to keep pace with Rob’s stylistic breadth and depth!—but after much searching he’s finally found a band that can keep up: Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio is a new “supergroup” that features Slava Tolstoy on guitar and Max Ridley on bass. Max and Slava both are incredible instrumentalists who have chops for days, but know how to balance their prowess in service of the song.

Slava Tolstoy is a Boston based guitarist, singer and producer, originally from St. Petersburg Russia. Slava’s original songs are best described as energetic pop-rock with tight arrangements, virtuoso soloing and deep and meaningful lyrics in the best traditions of Russian rock. World class musicians, including Grammy winners and nominees were carefully selected to play in Slava’s band and on his latest studio album – “Songs About the Sea” (Песни Про Море). Between 2018-2020 Slava has recorded and performed in a duo with Fedor Chistyakov – the leader of a legendary rock band “Nol”. One of Slava’s most known projects is International String Trio that fuses Gypsy Jazz with World Music, this group has toured across USA many times and gained significant national recognition.

Max Ridley is a musician, composer and educator based in Boston. He has shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Jeff Coffin, Kenny Werner, Tia Fuller, Ralph Peterson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack Dejohnette, Bruce Molsky, Perico Sambeat, Walter Smith III and Jerry Bergonzi. He has performed in venues such as the Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Umbria Jazz Festival. He also teaches music as a guest lecturer at different colleges around New England (such as Longy School of Music and the University of New Hampshire) and at the Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy.

Together, the three string-wielding maestros have forged a powerful group dynamic, developed over years of gigging and concerts, and the result is an interplay that will bring a smile to your face!