Presenting the first release from Sensitive Skin Music, The New Monsters Live at 55
Sensitive Skin’s inaugural release, New Monsters Live at Studio 55, highlights the role of jazz in the 21st century. Captured live at Studio 55 in Marin and featuring the compositions of saxophonist Dan Plonsey, this album echoes the ensemble’s roots in traditional jazz, improvisation, and rock. The recording, produced by bass player Steve Horowitz, captures the magic of New Monsters’ vibrant live performance.
New Monsters brings together an impressive group of seasoned musicians, including Plonsey, who has played with Fred Frith, Tom Waits, and Anthony Braxton, Horowitz, a bi-coastal performer who has collaborated with musicians from Henry Kaiser to Lenny Picket to Elliott Sharp, pianist Scott Looney, who plays both the keys and the strings of his piano, and has worked with the likes of Oliver Lake, Gino Robair and Joe Morris, multi-instrumentalist Steve Adams, appearing on sax and flute, whose background includes performing with Steve Gorn and David Birkin, and drummer John Hanes, whose impressive career includes playing with luminaries such as Etta James and Bonnie Raitt along with a who’s who of San Francisco Bay Area legends from Boz Scaggs to Romeo Void.
Listening to the music, it’s easy to hear some of the greats of jazz, including Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and John Coltrane filtered through Plonsey’s strong compositions and Horowitz’s arrangements and the group’s vibrant musicianship. The music on this recording was refined through live performances before a wide variety of audiences on a West Coast tour that culminated at Studio 55, where the five tracks were captured on high end multi-track digital equipment. Download New Monsters Live at Studio 55 and enjoy the “you are there” atmosphere wrapped around the best of contemporary West Coast jazz.
You can read an interview with Dan Plonsey and Steve Horowitz from Sensitive Skin #8.
Listen here free, buy it from iTunes and Amazon.
Reviews
“the future of where melodic jazz is going” —LucidCulture Magazine
“Inspired by rigorous but playful musical searchers like Sun Ra and Anthony Braxton, the dauntingly prolific East Bay saxophonist/composer Daniel Plonsey has a knack for writing tuneful, mercurial, and strangely affecting material.” —Andy Gilbert, NPR’s Best of 2012
“Simply stated “New Monsters” is an unanticipated surprise that should theoretically find its way on many best-of lists for 2012. Thankfully, Horowitz and associates tender a modern jazz refresh of sorts, providing a much needed contrast to the rolling waves of ho hum, kiddie bop”—Glenn Astarita, ejazz news
“…A freewheeling tour de force of pure sonic poetry, If this were a book, I’d be hard-pressed to put it down….” -Richard Warp, SF Examiner
“A harmonic feast for the senses that may just bite you back! New Monsters is a fresh post bop excursion into some uncharted waters that is well worth the trip.” —CriticalJazz.com
For More info about new Monsters, visit the websites of the members: Dan Plonsey, Steve Horowitz, Steve Adams, Scott Looney and John Hanes.
ABOUT SENSITIVE SKIN MUSIC
Sensitive Skin Music marries the aesthetic of Sensitive Skin Magazine with artist-centric production, distribution and marketing. With releases current and planned that span jazz, singer/songwriter, and highly alternative rock, Sensitive Skin Music gives listeners an eclectic earful of exciting performances. For artists, Sensitive Skin Music breaks the old model of bleeding the talent, instead rewarding performers right from the start.
Using the Internet as the launchpad for distribution and marketing allows Sensitive Skin Music to bring new music to the listening audience without the costs of traditional physical music release. This in turn enables a faster and larger payout to artists than has been possible in the past. SSM markets artist music through traditional print and online channels including social media.
Press inquiries should be directed to Jeff Spirier – [email protected]
Artist inquiries should be directed to [email protected]
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