Sex Mob photo featuring Briggan Krauss, Kenny Wollesen, Tony Scherr, and Steven Bernstein by Greg Aiello
Thur, February 16, 6:30 & 9pm
The Royal Room
5000 Rainier Ave S
$10-25
Tickets: Early Show
Tickets: Late Show
BY MELANIE GRIMES
The seasoned, crowd-pleasing jazz quartet, Sex Mob, rolls into The Royal Room for two shows after a notable absence from the touring scene. Known for the first-rate musicianship with which they “deconstruct familiar pop tunes with subversive impunity,” a Sex Mob set list can include sources as diverse as LeadBelly, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Prince, Kurt Cobain, James Brown, and Count Basie. The approach is both raucous and reverent, and the vibe is serious fun.
Formed in 1996 by Steven Bernstein, the quartet is composed of Bernstein on slide trumpet, Briggan Krauss, a Seattle native, on saxophones, Tony Scherr on bass and vocals, and Kenny Wollesen on drums. Their first recording, Din of Inequity, released in 1998 and was followed by eight others, including the Grammy-nominated 2006 recording Sexotica.
The group’s individual members maintain an incredible array of musical associations; from Bill Frisell, John Zorn, and The Lounge Lizards; to Norah Jones, Tom Waits, and Sean Lennon, to name but a few.
Steven Bernstein is a noted composer and arranger who has created work for a wide variety of artists, including Taj Mahal, Todd Rundgren, Twyla Tharp, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, Ben E. King, Little Feat, Lou Reed, Macy Gray, Marianne Faithfull and Mavis Staples. He has created music for film, theater, and dance, and has won Grammy Awards for Best American Album with Levon Helm in both 2009 and 2011. As an educator, Bernstein has taught at Dartmouth College, New York University, and The New School for social research.
Tony Scherr is a Grammy-nominated producer and bassist. Known for his years with the Bill Frisell Trio, he has also worked with John Lurie’s The Lounge Lizards, Willie Nelson, Rickie Lee Jones, Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones, and The Abrams Brothers. A compelling guitarist and vocalist, Scherr is gaining recognition as a singer-songwriter.
Drummer Kenny Wollesen, also a veteran of the Bill Frisell Trio, has worked with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Norah Jones and John Zorn. He is a founding member of the New Klezmer Trio and performs with the group Himalayas. He can also be heard on the soundtrack to the children’s show The Backyardigans.
Briggan Krauss, though now primarily known as a New York-based saxophonist and composer, came up in Seattle’s music scene and graduated from Cornish College of the Arts. He has released several critically acclaimed recordings as a leader and has appeared on over sixty other recordings as a sideman. He has worked with a diverse range of artists including John Zorn, Bill Frisell, The New York Composers Orchestra, Rufus Wainwright, and U2. Briggan also recorded with Frisell on his Grammy Award-winning 2007 album, Unspeakable. He currently teaches Brooklyn College’s performance and interactive media arts and the sonic arts MFA programs.
With chops to burn and all of this experience under their belts, Sex Mob brings a rare level of confidence, expertise, and love of the jazz tradition to the band stand. They come to play! This family reunion will be fun!
