Slydini’s super-hooky music is alive with creativity, humor, groove, and areas of boundary expansion. Named after famed magician and guru of slight-of-hand tricks, Tony Slydini, this quartet from Oakland, California composes using favorite elements of funk, jazz, pop, avant-garde and new music. Members are: Vicky the Bassplayer Grossi, John Ingle – saxophones, Bill Wolter - electric guitar, and Jan Jackson – drums.
Slydini mesmerizes, rocks, and funks up in-the-pocket odd meters that feel great. After years of playing strange and exciting rhythms, they naturally establish their grooves, inspiring audiences to spontaneously dance in new ways. Slydini encompasses a wide realm of feels, while keeping a funk influence as a fundamental component to many songs (they are from Oakland after all). Greatly influenced by jazz in terms of harmony and improvisation, they are interested in expanding the formalities of traditional jazz, and subtly paying tribute to the masters of all genres. Slydini explores the feel, shuffle, swing, and indescribable elements that make music magical.
Slydini's members have experience performing with such musical luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Wadada Leo Smith, Fred Frith, Will Bernard, Vince Wallace, Bishop Norman Williams, Mitch Marcus, Alex Skolnick, Andre Bush, Carl Lockett, PC Munoz, many old school Oakland funk legends, and so many other great people.
In 2001-2002, Vicky, John and Jan were in a group that played music in the vein of Miles Davis 70's funky stuff. Soon they formed their own group called FryPan. After a few gigs and tossed recordings, the group shrunk and morphed into a four-piece with Bill Wolter picking up guitar duties. The name, FryPan, was cursed with sizzlin' cliches and smokin', hot antidotes; a bio couldn't be written. In 2004, Vicky came up with the name Slydini after learning about the famed magician Tony Slydini, and contemplating all of the fun correlations between music and magic.
Don't for get to check out:
slydini.net, vickythebassplayer.com
