Sky Saw is an instrumental duo comprised of Core Redonnett on zither, samples, and electronics and Yuri Zbitnoff on drums. Sky Saw merges psychedelic shred rock with electronica, trance, and free improv, pushing each into fresh new realms.

With over a decade's worth of projects to his credit, Sky Saw is the latest of many eclectic endeavors for guitarist/composer/electric zither ace Core Redonnett. For almost ten years, he held the principal zither position in the Boston production of Blue Man Group, giving him the opportunity to master a new and unusual instrument as well as the motivation to custom build one and write a new repertoire for it. A jazz composition degree from Berklee College of Music provided Core a springboard from which to explore a vast number of creative outlets. Experimental large ensemble works, jazz combos, guitar quartets, electronica, a full scale rock opera, and his long standing work with prog rockers Xixxo are among the projects for which he has written, produced, arranged, recorded, and performed.

It was in fact through their four years together in Xixxo that Core's musical relationship with Yuri Zbitnoff was formed. Since leaving that band, Yuri has pursued his interest in improvised jazz and rock through Lithiq's celebrated jazz/electronica duo, Enuma Elish, as well as a constantly burgeoning set of other outlets that has included, among others, Raqib Hassan's Interdimensional Science Research Orchestra (which is in fact as Sun Ra-like as the name would imply), the free improv outfit Leap of Faith, and the heavy space metal band Caduceus. Yuri is constantly forging new musical relationships and exploring the many synergies that being involved in a wide variety of band concepts affords.

Sky Saw established a noteworthy presence in Boston through an ongoing residency at the Charles Playhouse Lounge and regular appearances at the Sky Bar in Somerville. At each performance, they invited some of the best improvisers in the scene to add new and unexpected dimensions to their open-ended compositions. Some of the guests featured have included violin virtuoso Jonathan LaMaster, Leap of Faith's Brotzmann-like multi-reed madman PEK, electronica wizards DJ C and Greg Grinnell, space rocker Paul Eggleston of Bionaut and Architectural Metaphor, the industrial noise terror of Cul De Sac's Robin Amos, and sax virtuosos Stan Strickland, Ken Field and Raqib Hassan.

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"Communication amongst members is the key to success in improvisation, and Sky Saw's comprehension of each other's actions is uncanny."
Northeast Performer
February 2002

"What an adventurous, explosive, and intense psychedelic freakout this is...This is daring and electrifying psychedelic music for the 21st century."
Jeff Fitzgerald
Aural Innovations
February 2005