The Daves: Orchestra Dave (Vision/RUCMA Series)

The Daves: Orchestra Dave
Dave Sewelson : Bari Sax - Dave Hofsra : Tuba - Steve Moses : drums/trombone

New York, NY - These fellows are the progenitors and perpetuators of post-contemporary music with a focus on the lower sonorities. They have played together in various situations for more than two delightful decades. All the Daves are veterans of The 25 O'Clock Band. Two are veterans of The Microscopic Septet. One is a veteran of Alice Donut. None of The Daves are veterans of the Armed Forces.

Dave Sewelson, Bari Sax

Dave was born in Oakland, California, in 1952. There was a half-size violin kept in the closet in case he wanted to be a concert violinist. He played trumpet at the age of nine, moving to baritone horn at the age of eleven, followed by a stint on drums until he settled on electric bass at thirteen, adding upright bass to the mix until the switch to saxophone at the age of twenty-one.

Sewelson has specialized in the baritone saxophone since the early seventies. He arrived in New York City in the summer of 1978, settled in the East Village, played in many bands in the area including the 25 O'Clock Band, Jemeel Moondoc's Jus Grew Orchestra, Noise R Us, Mofungo, Freedomland, The President, Konk, Illuminati, William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and Fast 'N Bulbous (the Captain Beefheart Project). He was a founding member of the Microscopic Septet and played with Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Saheb Sarbib, John Zorn, Roy Campbell, Elliot Sharp, Dee Pop, Frank Lowe, Pat Place, Billy Bang, Walter Perkins, Bobby Radcliff, Clayton Thomas,
Kyosuke Otsuka, Norah Jones, and so many more.

Dave Hofstra, Tuba

Dave has played, toured, and recorded extensively in jazz, rock, blues, klezmer, and new music. He has performed with artists Bobby Previte, Lou Grassi, Bobby Radcliff, Grady Gaines, John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Debbie Davies, Elliot Sharp, Tom Cora, Guy Klucevsek, Bill Frisell, Toshi Reagon, Luka Bloom, Marshall Crenshaw, Joel Forrester, William Parker, and Nora York as well as Philip Johnston's Big Trouble, the Microscopic Septet and the Transparent Quartet, Rachelle Garniez's Fortunate Few and Twilight Time, Casselberry & DuPree, The Waitresses, and the Klezmatics.

Stephen Moses, Drums/Trombone

Stephen was born into a dysfunctional brass band on Long Island -- father plays trombone, brother plays trumpet, one grandfather played tuba and the other played violin. Jazz on the father's side, classical on the mother's. He chose trombone while secretly always wanting to play drums, and finally at age fourteen, got his first drum set. After blowing (trombone) a few semesters at Berklee School of Music and a sudden punch in the mouth, Stephen started focusing on drums.

In 1975 Stephen moved to the Big Apple and started meeting and playing with many performers, such as Peter Borno, Dave Hofstra, James Chance, Gary Windo, Ken Simon, Jim Matus, Percy Jones, and John Zorn.

In 1987 he was founding member of ALICE DONUT and spent most of the next eight years on the road and is currently finishing their ninth album. www.alicedonut.com

Around 1997, after a stint with Rasputina, Stephen went solo and DRUMBONE was born. Playing drums and trombone simultaneously with the help of some electronics, was all he could do to keep from exploding. Other current projects include The Daves and LAMBIC (Drumbone with Paul Sullivan on Guitar).