Zony Mash

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).

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