Wayne Horvitz & Zony Mash: Upper Egypt

Wayne Horvitz has his fingers in many musical pots. From his days in New York came John Zorn’s Naked City, the N.Y. Composers Orchestra, and work with Butch Morris, Bobby Previte and Elliot Sharp, to name just a few. Since his return to Seattle nearly a decade ago, his vision has flowered into a multi-colored garden. Besides the punk-edged improvisational band PONGA, he heads Pigpen, Four In One, and has done some solo work, plus acted as producer for his wife Robin Holcomb, Bill Frisell, and Peter Apfelbaum. As for Horvitz’s funky organ band, perhaps a Beatles/Stones analogy can be made: Zony Mash is the Mick Jagger to Medeski, Martin, and Woods’ Beatles. Their brand of Slow burn “fonk” comes from their background of popular rock music. Besides Horvitz, the Zony Mashers came from the Seattle rock scene, reggae, and world beat. Maybe that’s why his their third record sounds so much like Booker T & The MGs and their namesakes, The Meters. To his organ repertoire consisting mostly of the Hammond B-3, Horvitz adds synthesizers and electric pianos for a bit more spacey grove thing. Several tracks including “The End Of Time” and “Goes Round And Round” remind you of his previous band The President, with brooding themes. Zony Mash remembers a time when music wasn’t categorized as jazz/pop/R&B/dance/funk. It’s just good fun.

Track List:Upper Egypt; Spice Rack; The End Of Time; Big Shoe; FYI; Forever; Goes Round And Round; I’m Sorry; Snakebite; Second Time Around; The Blue Rose.

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