Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash

Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash - Brand Spankin 'New - 1998 - Knitting Factory Records

Zony Mash made its debut in late 1995 as the unofficial house band at the OK Hotel in Seattle, where the guys honed their chops with months of weekly gigs. In Zony Mash you´ll hear a wide variety of influences, including sixties-style psychedelic rock, the blues and definitely some sounds that could only be described as being from outer space. All of this was amalgamated into something completely original. Although named after a tune by The Meters, Zony Mash was nevertheless not a Meters tribute band. Although Zony Mash drew heavy inspiration from the past, they never succumbed to derivative nostalgia. Imagine instead a uniquely modern, unpredictable take on a Fillmore-era groove and a bandleader bent on pushing his music in new directions. In the end though, it´s Wayne´s unique harmonic sense and songwriting that set Zony Mash apart. Zony Mash played to audiences worldwide, at some of the most prestigious jazz festivals around. They played at Montreux, Vancouver, Pori and North Sea Festivals and at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days. Mostly though they played the clubs in Seattle and the West Coast, blowing away a twenty-something crowd. Not surprisingly, both college-oriented publications such as CMJ and more mainstream magazines such as Downbeat give their CD releases critical acclaim. The band´s eclecticism even showed in its choice of special projects, including a series of shows where they added a horn section to the mix. Ex-Santana drummer Michael Shreve and guitarist Bill Frisell sometimes sat in as well. Zony Mash began its' life with Wayne Horvitz on Hammond B-3 and keyboards, Timothy Young on guitar, Fred Chalenor on bass and Andy Roth on drums. Keith Lowe replaced Fred as the bassist in late 1998. Zony Mash toured numerous times on the West Coast, did three US tours and also played in Europe and Iceland. Five Zony Mash CDs are available: Cold Spell (1997), Brand Spankin' New (1998) and Upper Egypt (2000) are all on Knitting Factory Records. The first live CD, Live In Seattle, was released in 2002. The final two shows were recorded for Kufala Records and released as Farewell Shows (2004). The CDs are available at record stores, online, and here http://www.waynehorvitz.net/merchandise.html at the merchandise page. © http://www.waynehorvitz.net/projects/zonymash.html

" ...modern electric jazz-funk at its finest." - Christopher Porter, Jazz Times

"...a smarter, more harmonically involved band that never stays locked in a single groove. It's Meters meets Miles approach, though certainly tailored for the crossover, jam band set, was of the type that would be equally attractive to more discriminating listeners." - Bill Kohlhaase, LA Times

While it's always been difficult to attach Wayne Horvitz to one particular style, this much can be said about Zony Mash, the keyboardist's quartet: They rock. They also swing and dispense a plentiful allowance of funk and soul while spicing the mixture with just enough of the Downtown blare and confusion that Horvitz built his reputation upon. As a band, Zony Mash can hold its own. Andy Roth provides a stable drum foundation for bassist Fred Chalenor, who continues to push his instrument up and over in small, interesting ways. Guitarist Timothy Young provides an effective (but certainly not a scene-stealing) foil for Horvitz. But make no mistake: This LP belongs to the keyboardist. Here, Horvitz leadfoots everything from a Hammond B3 to a Moog synthesizer, providing a wild, unpredictable ride. Buckle up--Mr. H. can drive like a banshee! - © S. Duda [Editorial Reviews, Amazon.com] © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Brand-Spankin-New-Wayne-Horvitz/dp/B00000AFRY

Brand Spankin' New, the prompt follow-up to their 1997 debut release Cold Spell, finds Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash with a tighter sound and slicker production. Once again, this Seattle-based four-piece serve up wide jazzy grooves and catchy instrumental themes, this time with even greater precision. Horvitz explores new sonic textures utilizing Hammond B-3 organ, Moog and Nord synths, and Wurlitzer electric piano. His mellow sounds float, swell dramatically, and swirl around the rhythm section throughout this wonderfully spacious recording. Present once more are Timothy Young's signature muted bluesy guitar riffs and drummer Andy Roth's controlled dynamics. The album features a confident, slightly more laid-back sound than their earlier material. The tracks are longer, averaging five to six minutes apiece, yet excellent improvisation and orchestration prevents them from becoming monotonous. However, this album is still very representative of the group's core sound. For the new listener, the twisting theme "Meet the Zony Mash" serves as a great introduction to the Zony sound. © Solar Marquardt © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/brand-spankin-new-mw0000057737

Solar Marquardt of Allmusic said that "The album features a confident, slightly more laid-back sound than their earlier material. The tracks are longer, averaging five to six minutes apiece, yet excellent improvisation and orchestration prevents them from becoming monotonous". This band’s music has been described as “jazz funk bordering on the avant garde” and “electronic dance music”, “funk, trip-hop, and acid-jazz”. It is always interesting to read descriptions and definitions of music. Some descriptions like “avant garde” may deter many people from listening to a lot of music simply because avant garde is often used as a term by “critics” to describe artistic creations which they may call brilliant and stupidly assume that the “great unwashed plebs" out there can’t appreciate great artistic creations. More often than not, these brilliant creations which often sell for several million dollars are often pieces of crap that a demented chimpanzee could knock out in five minutes. Yours truly would opine that Steely Dan’s “Aja” album is more aesthetically pleasing to me than Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”. Has anyone seen Damien Hirst’s 'spot' paintings? Who’s fooling who? LOL! Anyway, don’t be deterred by definitions in music. Give this album a listen. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to Spritney Beers, Little Mixx, and One Direction. Look at a different blog! Whatever turns you on! Check out the band's "Cold Spell" album on this blog, and listen to their "Upper Egypt" album. There’s a lot of Wayne Horvitz gigs @ http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator:%22Wayne+Horvitz%22+AND+((coverage:%22Seattle,+WA%22)+AND+(format:flac+OR+format:shorten+OR+format:mp3+OR+format:ogg)) BTW: Don’t take my verbal waffling too seriously. Apologies to any music lovers who are offended by my cynical view of certain artists. I am just one of several hundred thousand people with a cynical attitude towards today’s music scene. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 113 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Slide By 7:12
2 Brand Spankin' New 3:59
3 Chimacum After Hours 4:56
4 Meet The Zony Mash 5:15
5 Electric Sandworm 6:02
6 Bad Traffic 4:31
7 Cadillac Ranch 7:13
8 Stompin' At The Cranium 6:39

All tracks composed by Wayne Horvitz except “Electric Sandworm” composed by Tim Young

MUSICIANS

Tim Young - Guitar
Fred Chalenor - Bass
Wayne Horvitz - Hammond B3 Organ, Nord Lead, Moog Source, Dx7 Synthesizer, Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Andy Roth - Drums

BIO

With their precisely executed, angular, twisting keyboard/guitar riffs and their locked-up groove-oriented bass/drums beats, the instrumental quartet that is Zony Mash has created a signature sound which is both technical and fun. Established in 1997 by veteran composer, pianist, and keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, their debut album, Cold Spell, put this Seattle-based group on the map alongside other jazz-funk groups such as Medeski, Martin & Wood. Horvitz, a man who had worked with the likes of John Zorn, would now focus his energies on a more accessible sound. Guitarist Timothy Young would bring a bluesy/rock tone to the band, while Fred Chalenor (bass) and Andy Roth (drums) would anchor the rhythm section. In 1998, the group released their sophomore album, Brand Spankin' New, which featured even tighter performances, as well as a slicker production by their longtime engineer Tucker Martine. In 2000, the group put out two very different full-length albums. Upper Egypt consisted of the traditional Zony Mash sound with Keith Lowe replacing Fred Chalenor on bass guitar, while American Bandstand featured a stripped-down acoustic version of Zony Mash drawing attention to Horvitz's unique compositions. © Solar Marquardt © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/zony-mash-mn0000854611

ABOUT WAYNE HORVITZ (WIKI)

Horvitz, a "defiant cross-breeder of genres", has led the groups The President, Pigpen, Zony Mash, and the Four Plus One Ensemble. He has recorded or performed with John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Elliott Sharp, Danny Barnes, Tucker Martine, Butch Morris, Fred Frith, Julian Priester, Philip Wilson, Michael Shrieve, Carla Bley, Timothy Young, Bobby Previte, Skerik, Douglas September and others. He is perhaps most famous for being the keyboardist of the band Naked City. He has produced records for the World Saxophone Quartet, Human Feel, Marty Ehrlich, Fontella Bass, The Living Daylights, Bill Frisell or Eddie Palmieri. As a composer, Horvitz has been commissioned by The Kitchen, The Kronos Quartet, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New World Records, The Seattle Chamber Players and Earshot Jazz. He has received commissioning grants from Meet the Composer, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Arts Council, The Mary Flagler Carey Trust, The Seattle Arts Commission, The Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund and The Fund for U.S. Artists. In 2002 he was awarded a Rockefeller MAP grant for the creation of a new piece, Joe Hill, for chamber orchestra and voice, which premiered in October 2004 in Seattle. His 2003 composition, Whispers, Hymns and a Murmur for String Quartet and soloist, funded in part by a Seattle City Artist grant, premiered in March 2004. This composition and his earlier string quartet, Mountain Language are released on the Tzadik label. His newest string quartet composition, These Hills of Glory, was commissioned with support from 4Culture and the Mayors Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. His recent collaboration with Tucker Martine, Mylab, was on the top 10 CD list for 2004 in jazz in both the New Yorker and Amazon.com. In February 2005 he received the Golden Ear award from Earshot Jazz for "Concert of the Year." Works for theater and dance include music for the 1998 production of Death of a Salesman for Seattle's ACT theater (directed by Gordon Edelstein); productions of Ezra Pound's Elektra and the American premiere of Harold Pinter's Mountain Language, both directed by Carey Perloff. In 1992 choreographer Paul Taylor created a new work, OZ, to eleven compositions by Wayne Horvitz in collaboration with the White Oak Dance Company. Other theater and dance works include music for Bill Irwin's Broadway show, Strictly NY, and productions by the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Ammi Legendre, Nikki Apino and House of Dames and the Crispin Spaeth Dance Company. Horvitz has also composed and produced music for a variety of video, film, television and other multimedia projects, including two projects with director Gus Van Sant, a full length score for PBS's Chihuly Over Venice, and two films about the creation of Seattle’s EMP museum. His 85-minute score to Charlie Chaplin's film The Circus, for two pianos, two clarinets, and violin premiered in January 2000 in Oporto, Portugal. As of April 2007 Horvitz performs with Gravitas Quartet, Sweeter Than The Day and Varmint. Horvitz was born in New York City and currently lives in Seattle with his wife, composer Robin Holcomb, and their two children.