Chicken Salad

Style-bending, out-funk acolytes Chicken Salad are an alchemical sonic assemblage, uniquely blending elements of funk, jazz, hiphop, rock, and contemporary improvisation. A force of sound, the 5-piece instrumental ensemble renders modern yet classic writing, with interweaving lines, innovative blending of modern improvisation with memorable, pop-esque melodies, searing solos, all underpinned by deep and hard hitting rhythm section pocket. The Salad seamlessly threads together elements from influences as diverse as Galactic, Rudder, Steve Coleman, D'Angelo, Maceo Parker, and Rage Against the Machine.

Engineered by bass & beat architect Andrew Mason, The Salad features some of Toronto's best and brightest players: up front on horns - the sweet toned, agile, and tastily melodic Chris Butcher on trombone, with the primal refinement and richly angular lines of alto sax mastermind, Jake Koffman; in the mid-field, guitar wizard Ben Payne adds his raw tonal sorbet and lyrical liquidity to the Salad's dressing; in goal, behind the drums, the razor sharp time and unmoveable solidity of adept rhythmist Ed Mortenson protects every corner of the beat foundation, while compositional craftsman Andrew Mason chefs up the master salad recipe, and provides his characteristically lithe and athletic bass playing, filling out the C.S. low end theory at 600 Watts.

With their deft melodic finesse, raw edgy power, and an inescapably palpable canyon of groove, Chicken Salad is quickly becoming a healthy, high protein, and carb-free dish on the Toronto musical menu. The band was recently honoured to be selected from a throng of international applicants to open for Canadian guitar legend Don Ross, playing at Toronto's premiere Jazz/Folk venue, Hugh's Room. They just finished recording a 5 song EP, and are currently prepping for their first full length album.