post junk trio

Acid Jazz aficionados will recall the San Francisco Bay Area acid-jazz-funk quartet, Junk. Three incredibly funky albums (Faffco Records ‘94-‘97), a few Bay Area Music Awards, a two-year residency at the legendary Up & Down Club and a lot of touring and what remains is post junk trio. David Robbins (Baritone Sax) and Frank Swart (Bass) were founding members of Junk and Ian Herman was the band’s drummer during its last year. After Junk’s demise, which left them a trio, their destiny seemed clear...to be post junk trio. Their sound has been likened to '70's porno music, Miles a la his Bitches Brew period, instrumental Morphine, MMW & Tortoise. They have two CD releases, Reservoir Fish (2001) and Piano (2003).

Ian “Inkx” Herman, Drums

Ian “Inkx” Herman was the house-drummer at the legendary Shifty Records in Johannesburg during the Anti-Apartheid uprising of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Shifty Records recorded mostly anti-establishment and politically active artists who the mainstream media wanted silenced like, Mzwake Mbuli, Lesego Rampolokeng with the Kalahari Surfers and Vusi Mahlasela. In 1994 Ian left South Africa for New York City. At that time he was working with Ray Phiri, a South African producer who co-wrote and produced some of Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Ray hooked him up with Paul and he spent the next 3 years living in New York working with Paul Simon. In 1997 he and his family relocated once again, this time to San Francisco where, among many other gigs, he began working with Junk. Ian has been touring internationally with the WOMAD festival playing with Tananas, a band from South Africa and Mozambique. He is also currently the drummer for Hamsa Lila. Some of the other artists Ian has worked with are Abdullah Ibrahim Dollar Brand, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Duran Duran, Sting, Manfred Mann and Sebongile Khumalo.

David “DR” Robbins, Baritone Saxophone
David Robbins grew up playing music in Greenwich, Connecticut. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1993 he took his friend David Ellis’s advice, Ellis at the time was playing in the Charlie Hunter Trio, and headed west. Robbins quickly established himself on the SF Jazz scene. In his young career, he has performed with Randy Brecker, Paula Cole, the Johnny Nocturne Band, Steve Turre, Red Rodney, Dave Valentin, Peter Apfelbaum's Hieroglyphics Ensemble, Mingus Amungus, the Mark Wright Sextet, Realistic and the Violent Femmes.

Frank Swart, Bass and other stuff

Frank is a veteran of the fertile and legendary Boston Rock scene. He has lead several bands such as Who Be Dat?, an Acid Funk group, who Flea (RHCP), Jeffrey Clemens (G Love and Special Sauce) and Joe Bowie (Defunkt) all recorded with at one time or another, The Immortals, the seminal Roots Rock band which was fronted by Angelo (Grammy nominated songwriter / producer) and Candy Bar, a band with Mark Sandman of Morphine where Mark played guitar and the only rule was, don’t play guitar. (Frank would later appear on the 1995 Morphine release, Yes.) In 1991 Frank moved to San Francisco, where he, Robbins and a former WBD? Guitarist David Schumacher, formed Junk. Producer Philip Steir of Consolidated and former Talking Head, Jerry Harrison, have used Frank on several remix and album projects. Frank is also currently the bassist for Rag Man Son Revue and The Billy Nayer Show. Some other people Frank has worked with are Blackalicious, Bush, Chumbawamba, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Graham Central Station, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Live, Tracy Lords, Bijou Phillips, Pixies, Kim Richey, Smashmouth, Steppenwolf, Phoebe Snow, Pete Townshend, Narada Michael Walden and Bernie Worrell.