The Absynth Quintet

Absynth Quintet
The Absynth Quintet certainly isn't averse to classic bluegrass comparisons, they just want to make it clear their musical range
doesn't stop at the Kentucky border. Mixing it up somewhere along the spectrum of acoustic-improvisational-gypsy-jazz, their sound is plucky and tight à la David Grisman, but adds a dash of Eastern European exoticism that puts you in a smoky, understated hash bar kind of mood. Hailing from Humboldt County, Calif., the band is picking and strumming their way up and down the West Coast, leaving a warm buzz in its wake.

The Absynth Quintet's debut album, Flying Baby Swing, is pleasant and unobtrusive enough to serve as background music for and afternoon potluck, but to relegate them to acoustic "easy listening" status would be a disservice to artists and listeners alike. Tracks like "Playa Requeson" feature mandolin player Chris "Bird" Jowaisas evoking straight-up jazz trumpet with a stringed instrument typically played with lightening-fast percussive fury. The subtle interplay of various harmonic layers is also deserving of a close and contemplative listen; the quintet is so polished that their sound, as one fan put it, can seem like it is coming from one instrument. Lucky they're coming to a small, string-friendly bar near you where their old and new world qualities can be appreciated over a glass of red wine (they don't serve absinthe).

— Adrienne van der Valk
- Eugene Weekly

With a CD entitled "Kevlar Mariachi Pants" you know you're in for a heap of fun. The Northern California based Absynth Quintet have just released an eight song collection recorded live in October 2006, mastered this August and is jam packed (pun intended) with crowd-pleasing fun. Featuring JazzMando regular, Chris "Bird" Jowaisas on mandolin, the other four include Tofu Mike Schwartz on drums, Rudy Luera on upright bass, Ian davidson, banjo and Ryan Roberts, guitar. This is cutting edge music, as they say on their website, "landing somewhere on the infinite spectrum between jazz and bluegrass. It's funky, progressive and will get your feet moving. Their music defies definition, at times hinting at gypsy jazz, and at other moments leading the listener on a rich, seamless, musical odyssey."

Sometimes gypsy, sometimes psychedelic rock, these guys give it their best in high energy acoustic entertainment. Take sometime to view their website, or listen to the sample tracks on their MySpace page: - Jazz Mandolin.com

The Absynth Quintet
This group is simply amazing! Something between David Grisman and Django Reinhart. The lineup is bass, drums, banjo, mandolin and guitar. The acoustic instruments are obviously electrified, and they use effects minimally and tastefully. There is one tune that gets a little avant guard (chili azul), but they put it together in a way that is mesmerizing (at least to me). Every one of them is a virtuoso on their instrument, and frequently they play in fast paced harmony, often using percussive effects on the stringed instruments. Most tunes sound as if they were recorded live; I don’t know who the engineer was, but the recording is precise and exacting. It just doesn’t get any better than this on all levels.
You have to listen to this!: - Music and Electricity

I should mention that this was preceded by Ryan (who is in A.Q.) dropping off a copy of said CD for a preview. It's playing as I type. It's a live recording, live and lively with that Hot Club of Humboldt-style gypsy-grass sound you know and love, which is to say fast, clean-as-a-whistle pickin' and lots of it -- like fried ice cream: cool and hot at the same time. The eight songs include three each by Roberts and mandolinist Christopher "Bird" Jowaisis, one by banjo man Ian Davidson and a Coltrane cover. Drummer Mike "Tofu" Schwartz and upright citizen bassist Rudy Luera propel the excursions ever forward. Pick up a copy at your local independent record store. - North Coast Journal

A jazzy gypsy jam band, that’s how Absynth Quintet are described, and that pretty much sums them up, they’re an Americana jam band with an Eastern European flare. Their music is very familiar but in a good way, you can listen to one song and feel like you’ve heard it before but you don’t want to turn it off. It’s good stuff.

The Eastern European thing really comes through in Little Blue Bike, with the exception of the little girl coming in saying something about riding her little blue bike, you really get the feel of the Gypsy-ness of the band, I could clearly see a dark haired gypsy girl dancing by a fire fling her skirt ruffles around as she turned and twisted around. I get the same impression with DCA but it’s a little more of a darker tone.

These guys are pretty great, I honestly didn’t think I would like them but after listening to their album I had to put them on my mp3 player. It’s just good stuff.
--lithiumradio.org - lithiumradio.org

Introducing "Indigo Shoes" from a fabulous Trinidad, California Gypsy "Jamgrass" band, "The Absynth Quintet." We've been following mandolinist Bird Jowaisis now for several years since their sophomore 2004 release "Kevlar Mariachi Pants." Bird and the band have matured and solidified their unique signature sound, a blend of Eastern European Gypsy, Americana, and Jam band. Rich with energy and finesse, they produce a fierce acoustic energy that never betrays a carefully crafted sophistication. In addition to the quintet of banjo, upright bass, mandolin, drums, and guitar, the CD features special guest appearances by Zebulon Bowles and Rob Diggins on violin, Drie Roberts on vocals, and Steve Porter on musical saw!
Ted Eschliman - Jazzmando.com (Nov 5, 2008) - Ted Eschliman, Jazzmando.com

If you’ve been lucky enough to see the local band Absynth Quintet play live, you know they’re amazing. Sometimes the improvisational jams may go on just a tiny bit too long, but the individual band members’ undeniable talent quashes any negative aspects on that front.

The collective picking styles presented by Ian Davidson on banjo, Bird Jowaisas on mandolin and Ryan Roberts on guitar are hypnotic. Drummer “Tofu” Mike Schwartz and upright bassist Rudy Luera hold down the beat and are essentially responsible for the band’s ability to switch from bluegrass to gypsy jazz to Latin, sometimes all in one song.

Some bands record amazing studio albums, but can’t recreate the brilliance live. Others are incredible live, but their studio work just doesn’t measure up. The Absynth Quintet pulls off both live performances and studio recordings quite well. Their just released album Indigo Shoes flawlessly mixes different styles of jazz and bluegrass together, without any awkward transitions and with no bad tracks.

Among the highlights: the third track, an instrumental called “Let’s Just Cuddle Tonight,” which sounds like the opening credits to some unknown movie. A healthy dose of banjo and some lovely fiddle work by guest player Zebulon Bowles remind us that Absynth plays more than just gypsy jazz.

By the time “the Rev. Sam” rolls around, the groove is there. On the bluegrass side, it’s perfect music for cruising through town, radio cranked up and windows rolled down, singing along like no one can hear you.

Track six, “D.C.A.,” starts with some gypsy jazz then takes a sort of unexpected foray into Latin rhythms. It literally got stuck in my head for hours the first few times I listened to the album.

“Dorado’s Chest” has a very distinct flavor of David Byrne, both in musical and vocal style, combining elements of gypsy jazz with bits of swing, and features Steve Porter on the musical saw.

“LMNOP” is my fave. Seductive and sultry, it's the album’s slow dance number. The addition of Rob Diggins’ violin adds to the beauty of the straightforward jazz tune.

To say I like this album a lot is a complete understatement. Indigo Shoes is not a replacement for experiencing Absynth live, but it will get you by during the week, without leaving you hung-over in the morning.

And speaking of seeing the Absynth Quintet live, the band is celebrating the new album with an official CD release party at the Jambalaya Friday, Sept. 5. You know I'll be there. - Monica Topping

Just when I was all depressed about the ending of summer, The Absynth Quintet offered up Indigo Shoes, their brand new album which includes five tracks with vocals! Yay!
“Gadjo Train,” the album’s first proper track, has evolved into a full-fledged story courtesy of banjo player Ian Davidson. (An earlier version is available on The KHUM Blend, Vol. 2) If you’ve ever wondered what a “Gadjo Train” is, well, it’s apparently the bluegrass version of “Hotel California.” As in, “You can ride the Gadjo Train and you can ride it home again/La La La La/but if you ride the Gadjo Train/you might not come home again.”

Instrumentals “Let’s Just Cuddle Tonight” and “Little Blue Bike” showcase both the band’s sideways sense of humor and ridiculous amount of talent. They’re the kind of songs that make a listener wonder if the guys ever sit around and discuss how damn talented they are.

(Cue daydream sequence...
Ryan Roberts: “Have you guys noticed lately how extraordinarily skilled I am on guitar?” Bird Jowaisis: “Why, yes. Good thing, too, so you can match my virtuoso mandolin playing. By the way, I have a fantastic smile, don’t you think?” Tofu Mike: “That’s because my mad drum skills push you into the realm of ecstasy.”
Ian looks over at Rudy Luera on upright bass and they just shake their heads in wonder at the greatness of the AQ.)

Then we get another treat in Bird’s “The Reverend Sam,” a song that wouldn’t sound out of place covered by The Devil Makes Three – the inclusion of lyrics illustrates a darkness we don’t typically associate with the sunshiney Absynth guys. The tension heightens with “DCA” – try to dance to the merciless syncopation of that track without looking crazed, I dare you – before Ryan’s sea chantey “Dorado’s Chest.”

The title track comes courtesy of Bird and begins, “We were peakin’ in the back seat of his hatchback, at an indigo pair of shoes.” Now, maybe the homonym threw them off and they meant “peeking” at some indigo shoes... no, no, I don’t think they did, given the hallucinatory nature of the song. Don’t try this one at home, kids.

Despite the goofy title, “LMNOP” comes off as a relatively straightforward seduction number. It’s a perfect song to use when transitioning from, “That was certainly a lovely dinner” to “Take me now, lover!” (Except that would be a ridiculous thing to say, so you’d best let the music do the talking.)

It’s happily ever after from there, with added hidden tracks, a gimmick that’s so well, gimmicky, but hey, when you’re served what the Absynth Quintet is offering, you shouldn’t complain. Besides, the verbal exchange at the very end so well illustrates the sense of brotherhood and devotion recording an album engenders within the band. - Jennifer Savage