Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash

Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash - Cold Spell - 1997 - Knitting Factory Works

"...There have been a bunch of organ discs released over the last couple years, but COLD SPELL is one of the most unique. Horvitz's B-3 musings bypass some of the genre's stylistic stereotypes, offering an anxious funk rather than torrid swing..." - Down Beat (5/97, p. 61) - 3. 5 Stars (out of 5)

"...Combine more or less traditional jazz instrumentation, a decidedly funky rock vibe, a healthy portion of musically unorthodox twists and turns, and you have what Horvitz's Zony Mash (named after a Meters tune) is all about..." - JazzTimes (6/97, p. 120)

Cold Spell was released in 1997 as the debut of composer/keyboardist Wayne Horvitz's newly-formed instrumental band Zony Mash. This solid record set the tone for future releases with it's remarkable Hammond B3 organ work, controlled jams, sneaky muted guitar riffs, and jazz-funk beats. The album demonstrated the group's abilities with improvisation and technique, as well as their knack for keeping themes concise and accessible. Numerous musical ingredients can be found throughout this work. Timothy Young (guitar) who generally keeps things light, at times lets loose with a blues-rock outburst, as on "Let's Get Mashed." And Andy Roth (drums) delivers jazz, straight-up funk beats, and odd time signatures. The song "Withdrawal Symptoms" could be the background music for a 100 mph car chase scene, while "Cold Spell" soothes the listener with it's relaxed pace. Horvitz's B3 touches on jazzy, funky, and psychedelic. The recording has a mellow quality, perhaps even slightly muted, but overall it works by giving the album a smooth tonality. With remarkable musicianship and themes you just can't forget, this debut album established Zony Mash as a modern jazz force to be reckoned with. © Solar Marquardt © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/cold-spell-mw0000019855 Listen to Zony Mash's "Brand Spankin' New" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 104 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 With The Space On Top - Wayne Horvitz 2:53
2 Happens Like That - Wayne Horvitz 5:19
3 Sex Fiend - John Zorn 3:38
4 Prudence RSVP - Wayne Horvitz 7:07
5 Cold Spell - Wayne Horvitz 4:37
6 Mel - Fred Chalenor 3:12
7 Let's Get Mashed - Wayne Horvitz 4:06
8 Smiles - Wayne Horvitz 5:06
9 The Gift - Wayne Horvitz 3:14
10 Withdrawal Symptoms - Timothy Young 2:33
11 Daylight - Wayne Horvitz 3:18

MUSICIANS

Timothy Young - Electric Guitar
Fred Chalenor - Bass
Wayne Horvitz - Hammond B-3 Organ
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.

Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson - Master of the Stratosphere - 1997 - Sony

In the mid-1940s, while leading his own band in the Montreal area and in Toronto, Maynard Ferguson's talents were noticed by some prominent U.S bandleaders. In 1978, Paul Bley said that 'Maynard would always open the show, and he played three octaves higher on trumpet than anyone else... you ought to have seen the jaws drop on the visiting musicians'. In 1948, Ferguson went to the USA, and played with the big bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, and the great Stan Kenton until 1953. Around this time, Maynard was making a big impression on the public. He won the Down Beat readers' polls for trumpet in 1950, 1951, and 1952. In 1950, he cut his first records under under his own name , for Capitol, while leading the Stan Kenton band of the day. In the mid-1980s, Maynard had moved to Ojai, Cal, and in 1987 introduced his fusion septet, High Voltage. Ten lears later, he had moved away from fusion and returned to the more traditional big band jazz style, playing with the Big Bop Nouveau Band. Maynard was an extensive tourer, and travelled for eight months of the year. He played in many prestigious jazz events, made numerous TV appearances, many great albums, and he had the honour of playing solo trumpet for the opening ceremony of the Montreal 1976 Olympics. Many Canadians have been members of his bands, including,the singer Anne Marie Moss, the tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, and the trombonists Rob McConnell and Phil Gray. Kenny Wheeler arranged and composed for Maynard's English band. Maynard Ferguson was a genius of the trumpet, and his mastery of the instrument was incredible. His music is still loved, not just by jazz fans, but by lovers of good popular music. As is usual with unorthodox jazz players like Maynard, he received a lot of criticism for venturing beyond the classical jazz form. Some purists rather unfairly called him an exhibitionist, and a showman. An example of this was his using an aria from I Pagliacci as an encore to his shows, and "over embellishing" his music with flamboyant high notes. However, much of Maynard's "musical embellishments" were obviously not understood properly, as Maynard was a great improvisor. These "high notes" were often used as a part of that improvisation, and certainly not to "show-off". He never lowered the standard of great jazz music. "Master of the Stratosphere" is a brilliant album, with fabulous interpretations of tracks like Chick Corea's "La Fiesta", Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park", D.C Thomas' "Spinning Wheel", and Isaac Hayes classic "Theme From Shaft". The album is V.H.R by A.O.O.F.C. Maynard Ferguson was a great musician, a great Montrealer, and gave wonderful music to the world. Listen to his brilliant "Primal Scream" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

01. PRIMAL SCREAM - J.Chattaway, Maynard Ferguson
02. SPINNING WHEEL - D.C Thomas
03. CHAMELEON - P.Jackson, H.Mason, B.Maupin, H.Hancock
04. GOSPEL JOHN - J.Steinberg
05. LA FIESTA - C.Corea
06. GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM "ROCKY") - B.Conti, C.Connors, A.Robbins
07. MACARTHUR PARK - Webb
08. PAGLIACCI - J.Chattaway
09. SUPERBONE MEETS THE BAD MAN- J.Chattaway
10. THEME FROM "SHAFT" - I.Hayes

N.B: A list of the musicians on this album would be welcomed



SHORT BIO

When he debuted with Stan Kenton's Orchestra in 1950, Maynard Ferguson could play higher than any other trumpeter up to that point in jazz history, and he was accurate. Somehow he kept most of that range through his career and since the 1970s has been one of the most famous musicians in jazz. Never known for his exquisite taste (some of his more commercial efforts are unlistenable), Ferguson nevertheless led some important bands and definitely made an impact with his trumpet playing. After heading his own big band in Montreal, Ferguson came to the United States in 1949 with hopes of joining Kenton's orchestra, but that ensemble had just recently broke up. So instead, Ferguson gained experience playing with the big bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet. In 1950, with the formation of Kenton's Innovations Orchestra, Ferguson became a star, playing ridiculous high notes with ease. In 1953, he left Kenton to work in the studios of Los Angeles and three years later led the all-star "Birdland Dreamband." In 1957, he put together a regular big band that lasted until 1965, recorded regularly for Roulette (all of the band's recordings with that label are on a massive Mosaic box set) and performed some of the finest music of Ferguson's career. Such players as Slide Hampton, Don Ellis, Don Sebesky, Willie Maiden, John Bunch, Joe Zawinul, Joe Farrell, Jaki Byard, Lanny Morgan, Rufus Jones, Bill Berry, and Don Menza were among the more notable sidemen. After economics forced him to give up the impressive band, Ferguson had a few years in which he was only semi-active in music, spending time in India and eventually forming a new band in England. After moving back to the U.S., Ferguson in 1974 drifted quickly into commercialism. Young trumpeters in high school and colleges were amazed by his high notes, but jazz fans were dismayed by the tasteless recordings that resulted in hit versions of such songs as the themes from Star Wars and Rocky and much worse. After cutting back on his huge orchestra in the early '80s, Ferguson recorded some bop in a 1983 session, led a funk band called High Voltage during 1987-1988, and then returned to jazz with his "Big Bop Nouveau Band," a medium-sized outfit with which he toured the world up until his death from kidney and liver failure on August 23, 2006. © Scott Yanow, allmusic.com

Exodus Quartet

Exodus Quartet - East Coast - 1996 - Instinct Records

Eric Hilton and Fari Ali, aka Exodus Quartet attempted to use a more publicized format to recreate the sound of jazz clubs, especially Washington, DC's Exodus acid jazz club. This album has a great jazzy, chill-out sound and grows on you after a few listens. Real cool music, and very enjoyable. Their 1996 album, Way Out There, featured many guest musicians and was released after they had appeared on several compilation records. Hilton went on to co-found Thievery Corporation.

TRACKS

1.Fly
2.Groove Gumbo
3.More, More,More
4.Oye Rene
5.Peace
6.The Heat Up

BIO

Exodus Quartet was formed in 1991 by Eric Hilton, co-founder of the legendary DC Acid Jazz party named Exodus. With his partner Farid Ali, Hilton created a night in DC that astounded all club-goers in the capitol city. With pre-Deep Dish DJ Dubfire on the turntables and Jamaican toaster Hutchy on the mic, Exodus drew large crowds of enthusiasts every Friday night. When Jan Kinkaid visited Exodus during the Brand New Heavies' first US tour he proclaimed, "I didn't think anything like this existed outside of London. Or should I say, I don't think this exists even in London." Inspired by the music and the atmosphere at Exodus, Hilton decided to make a record that would pay homage to this Exodus night. Working in Backbeat studios, Hilton formed Exodus Quartet, a loose collaboration of studio musicians that would round-out Hilton's productions. With a pre-Fishbelly Black George Michael engineering, Hilton recorded and produced four songs, "Perfect Vibe", Trance Jazz", Funk What?", and Rare and Groovy". These songs were released on vinyl EP and Hilton's career as a music producer was underway. "I've always been fixated on music and I had from time to time made my own. I had played in hard-core punk bands when I was a kid and I faithfully adhered to the 'do-it-yourself' creed that punk rock stood for and inspired," explains Hilton. When I first stumbled across the budding Acid Jazz scene in the late 80's, I was enchanted by the eclecticism of the sounds and the grassroots approach to releasing music. I still dig the current scene for the same reasons, yet now it seems even more eclectic and, in many ways, more interesting. "Way Out There", the new CD LP from Exodus Quartet, is certainly an eclectic mix of many types of music and attitudes. "I'm really happy with the freedom that Instinct gave me to do this record. I essentially explored the sounds that I'm most into - old Studio One Reggae, Southern Fired Funk, 70's cop soundtracks, Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz etc..." I wanted to make a record for myself first and hopefully other people will groove on it as well. That, in my opinion, is the only way to do it." © .2001 Instinct Records Corporation