Time & Memory

Music exists as sound (or silence, as John Cage taught us) in time. The listener must use their memory to connect those sounds in a coherent way in order to extract meaning from them. Hence â?? time & memory. The title of the debut CD from the group Slowburn is also indicative of the time they spent together and the memories borne of that time. More than a gig, this group became central to the members lives in a way difficult to explain to those not intimate with it. Slowburn was most active throughout the 90's, performing regularly for enthusiastic audiences. They were voted "Best Unsigned Jazz Band" in the 1991 Brooklyn Lager Band Search. After winning the competition held in NYC's famous Knitting Factory, they capped off the event with an appearance at Brooklyn's Prospect Park as part of the "Celebrate Brooklyn" festival. The group made a conscious effort to straddle the line between the accessible and the experimental. The idea was to contain any and all types of improvisations within well-defined frames. Tracks like "I'll Never Forget You" and "Calypso" touch on smooth jazz without pandering to simplicity. "Moti's Bossa" captures the essence of why this Brazilian music caused such a stir when it first hit our shores. "Freddie Found Work", "22 and Blue" and "But Not Both" contain furious jazz blowing. "Gloria" is the centerpiece of the CD, with it's 11-plus minutes of ferocity, containing a dual saxophone solo that draws upon and extends the energy playing/textural/free jazz tradition. Combining these elements into a coherent whole, Slowburn achieved a synthesis that provided the perfect outlet for their creative, improvisational statements. They now invite you to spend some time with them, perhaps create a memory as well. Victor Magnani - guitar, Marty Rizek - bass, Mark Banftich - drums, Lou Banfitch - vibes and marimba, Sylvester Scott - sax, Billy Gagliardi - sax, Russ Sottile - sax, Ed Jackson - percussion, John Pennino - percussion.