Curtis Hasselbring - trombone, cracklebox, megamouth, other sounds
Chris Speed - clarinet, tenor saxophone, casio
Trevor Dunn - acoustic bass
John Hollenbeck - drums, percussion, melodica
Influences
Alfred Hitchcock, Sly and the Family Stone, the Stooges, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Henry Threadgill, Deerhoof, Anton Webern, Stanley Kubrick, Wayne Shorter, William Gibson, Black Francis, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Howard Hawks, Keith Richards
Curtis Hasselbring's New Mellow Edwards is a group that was originally formed in 1988. Known back then as the Mellow Edwards, the trio of trombone, electric guitar and drums explored a unique combination of free jazz and heavy rock that was very unique for it's time. Continuing through the 90s as a sextet with a similar musical onus, Hasselbring reformed the group as an acoustic quartet in 2002 and has made the New Mellow Edwards the focal point of his composing and band-leading.
Curtis's compositions and the New Mellow Edwards' playing defies traditional jazz conventions and favors primal garage rock-derived grooves, textural explorations and classicaly-influenced structures. The repertiore of the group can be humerous, dark, accessible and exciting, often simultaneously.
The New Mellow Edwards' self-titled debut album made many top ten lists for 2006, included the 2 spot in the Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll for best debut and several critics' lists in All About Jazz NYC. Curtis's tweaked version of a modern instrumental supergroup features strong performances from three of New York's most innovative musicians: Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, John Zorn, Melvins), John Hollenbeck (Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann, Claudia Quintet) and Chris Speed (Human Feel, Bloodcount, Pachora) - ably led by the beautifully unorthodox and virtuostic trombonist.
April 2009 brings a new New Mellow Edwards recording, "Big Choantza" (Skirl 10), which will feature 9 Hasselbring originals as well as a cover of the Sonic Youth classic, "Youth Against Fascism".
A few quotes
Bounding along fitfully with jubilant energy, or drifting into scrawling, experimental textures, The New Mellow Edwards embody the best new music Brooklyn has to offer.
(Troy Collins, All About Jazz – New York)
....[a] smart ensemble that harnesses the forward thrust of rock in the service of an almost chamberlike group cohesiveness.
(NY Times, Nate Chinen)
His own material embraces both amiable jauntiness and confident probes into abstraction. Dunn and Hollenbeck get seriously tricky with matters of rhythm and tempo. Speed plays mainly tenor with occasional welcome reminders of his highly appealing clarinet tone. Hasselbring is supple, robust and expressively accented. It’s all a lot of fun and beautifully played.
(Wire, Julian Cowley)
