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from richmond, vaan unconventional instrumental sextet comprised of electric guitar, electric bass, drums, trumpet, trombone, and tenor saxophone
early 70s fusion feel + hip-hop and pop grooves + down-tempo techno-jazz
original compositions + arrangements of music
sensitive + hard-hitting + dynamic
every-one, individually and collectively
nearly a decade of music together
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The Heavy Rotations began as a quartet called The SWiTCH in Farmville, VA in the summer of 2001 when Jack Shannon (guitar, synth) approached Nathan Goodwyn (bass) with a demo of what would become the foundational music of the band. Drummer Adrian Allen and saxophonist Kent Gravely were part of the original lineup. A move to Richmond, VA in 2002 witnessed a band in transition, as Allen and Gravely left to pursue professional careers. Trumpeter Mark Ingraham (Bungalo 6, Oregon Hill Funk All-Stars, Devil's Workshop Big Band) was discovered by Goodwyn in Bogart's Back Room soon after the move to Richmond, and he joined the band in April 2002. In August of 2002, drummer Kelli Strawbridge joined on Ingraham's recommendation. And in November 2002, the quartet recorded with Stewart Myers (former bassist of Agents of Good Roots) its first EP, which was circulated at local and regional shows.
In 2004, The SWiTCH took a year-long hiatus but returned in 2005 with fresh emphasis on writing and slowing down the weeknight gig schedule -- essentially a "quality over quantity" decision. Adding to the band's new energy and renewed focus were the additions in 2007 of accomplished long-time collaborators Reggie Pace (trombone, No BS Brass Band, The Big Payback, Fight the Big Bull) and Jason Gay (saxophone, Soularmy, Bungalo 6). It is with these additions that the band became known as The Heavy Rotations.
The Heavy Rotations currently plays eight to ten gigs per year, most of them in the Richmond, VA area. Shannon and Goodwyn continue to write actively for the band, and each member of the group brings his own distinct voice to writing process. Now in its sixth year as a band, The Heavy Rotations continue to pursue its goal of composing what it considers to be original, relevant material and playing it with an attention to each other at every show.
