DESCRIPTION:
Recorded at Litho in Seattle, Washington in July 1999
Wayne Horvitz - Hammond B-3 organ, Nord Lead, DX-7, Roland JD-800, Wurlitzer electric piano
Timothy Young - guitar
Keith Lowe - electric bass
Andy Roth - drums
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From the album Upper Egypt
Released on the independent Knitting Factory label
Upper Egypt is the third recording from Wayne Horvitz and Zony Mash, and it shows the band growing tighter and tighter as time goes by. They've really become a band, as opposed to another project headed by Horvitz, even with Keith Lowe replacing Fred Chalenor on bass. Although the band was started as an excuse for Horvitz to play his Hammond B-3, Upper Egypt incorporates more of his other keyboard sounds than their previous recordings. Thanks to programming many of his own synth sounds, Horvitz has an immediately identifiable sound that goes perfectly with his unique playing and compositional style; even on the B-3, you know it's Wayne Horvitz. Always in control of tone and timbre, Horvitz colors the music beautifully, deftly moving between B-3 and his other keyboards. Guitarist Tim Young really steps into his own on this record as well. Sounding derivative of no one, he summons a wide range of tones and styles, from the delicate "Forever" to the Meters-like funk of "Snakebite" to the slow burn of "Goes Round and Round," a tune dating back to the President songbook. Andy Roth and Keith Lowe are a rock-solid rhythm section, keeping things well anchored as Horvitz and Young alternate solos and comping. Roth is a consummate time keeper: always tasteful and never flashy. Upper Egypt demonstrates what can happen when four talented individuals act with one mind: a great record.