Chin Chin http://www.chinchin.tv
http://www.myspace.com/chinchinnyc
Chin Chin, formed in 2001 by
Torbitt and Wilder Schwartz - joined soon after by Atlanta Georgia
bred Jeremy Wilms- was originally intended to improvise back-up
music for singers and MC's at a monthly party in Brooklyn.
Realizing a greater potential, the brothers started writing music.
With songs in place, they began recruiting musicians from the
fertile Williamsburg scene.
Combining elements of jazz, funk,
disco, contemporary R&B, rock, and electro, with smart lyrics,
powerful horn arrangements, great showmanship, and a taste for
partying Chin Chin have synthesized the quintessential elements of
such dance floor heroes as Brass Construction, Ohio Players, and
Roger Troutman, while presenting something decidedly new.
As a
live unit, Chin Chin can range from the streamlined quartet to a
thunderous ten-piece ensemble. A typical Chin Chin show will
quickly evolve into a contagious dance party, the audience
responding at once to their incendiary musicianship and charisma.
Time OUT NY aptly summed this phenomenon up when they said that
Chin Chin were "tighter than your boss with a raise." No surprise
they were featured in the august 2004 FADER magazine as a band to
watch out for.
In New York as well as Europe they have shared the
stage with Tv On The Radio, Antibalas afro beat ensemble, Gogol
Bordello, Sufjan Stevens, Lily Allen, ESG, Sharon Jones and The Dap
Kings, Theo Parrish, DJ Spinna, Doctor Dog, the Rogers Sisters, and
VHS or Beta.
Each member brings experience to the
band:
Wilder Zoby, the youngest member of the band, brings
creative spark with his keyboard and synthesizer versatility and
vocal eccentricity. A powerful performer, he uses his experience as
an actor to engage and excite audiences. He has been found doing
session work on the keyboards for Hip Hop giants Beans and El-P.
Wilder also scored The Maysle Brothers film on the making of Wes
Anderson's The Life Aquatic as well as the Strictly kings
production People. He received a jazz performance degree from the
New School of Jazz and studied with such faculty as Chico Hamilton,
Reggie Workman and Junior Mance.
A founding member of the
seminal afro-punk quartet, The Pleasure Unit, as well as drummer
for the Reverend Vince Anderson's Love Choir, Torbitt Schwartz has
a reputation as a well-versed drummer who also shares vocal duties
in Chin Chin. Raised between Brooklyn and Louisville, Kentucky he
studied jazz performance and composition at the New School of Jazz
and contemporary. He’s a multi-instrumentalist/DJ/producer that has
played or recorded with Bernard Purdie, TV On the Radio, Peanut
Butter Wolf, Matthew Shipp, Chico Mann, among others. Under his dj
persona "Lil' Shalimar" he has held down residencies at some of New
York City's most happening clubs (Good World, Black Betty, Pianos,
Union Pool) and parties (Rubulad). His production company formed
with bassist Jeremy Wilms has produced music for documentaries,
independent films, and comercial works (CNN, Nike, Sundance
Channel's)
Jeremy Wilms started playing guitar at the age of 7.
He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1995 from Georgia State
University in Atlanta. In 1997 Jeremy moved to New York City where
he continued studies with jazz pianist Kenny Werner. He has since
shared the stage and/or recorded with Tony Allen, Steve Shelley and
Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen, Chris
Lee, Christina Rosenvinge, Reverend Vince Anderson, Akoya
Afro-beat, Dub Nomads, Butch Morris, among others.
With a little
from my friends:
On records and/or on stage the band gets a
lot of help from some of New York City's top session musicians:
Tada Hirano, Jeff Pierce, Jesse Boykins III, Yusuke Yamamoto,
Antibalas Afro -Beat ensemble, Felix Chen, Yoshi Takemasa, Marcus
Farrar and many more......
Guitarist Tada Hirano played in cult
bands Blonde Redhead and Cibbo Matto,
Jeff Pierce has played
with The Temptations, the Delfonics, and the Glenn Miller
Orchestra,
Although Jesse Boykins (featured on Hey Hey) is only
21 years old, he has been singing, writing and recording for more
than half of his life. His voice spans a 5-octave range and his
sound draws upon his eclectic taste, creating a style that is not
bound by generations or time. He honed his skills as with classical
trainer Kamal Scott and Universal Music recording artist,
Bilal.
Discography
"Take Off Your Shoes And
Dance Like A Monkey" (T.R.I.N.O. Records) 2001
"Chinstrumentals"
(T.R.I.N.O. Records) 2002
"The Crack Don't Smoke Itself"
(T.R.I.N.O. Records) 2004
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