Artist description Jazz. The band exists as a creative outlet for four Orlando area musicians. The music, primarily by Dave MacKenzie, varies widely style. The tunes challenge both the musicians and the listeners. From the 7/8 groove of "Particle Beam Atomizer" to the dreamlike harmonic structures of "Land of the Lotus Eaters", the music reflects a modern fusion of sounds. Their first release here on mp3.com is a selection of tunes from a live recording session. Catch them around the Central Florida area. I'll be uploading more "stuff" here soon. I hope to put up a couple of lead sheetsfor those of you who want to play along.

Music Style Jazz/Fusion/Jazz/Funk/Jazz/Standards/Jazz/Blues

Musical Influences Very broad - Coltrane,Clapton,SlyStone,JamesBrown,HarryPartch,HerbieHancock,WesMontgomery,Chick Corea,Tony Williams,Lenny White,Stanley Clarke,Jaco Pastorius

Similar Artists Joe Lavano&John Scofield,The Police,Brecker Bros,Grateful Dead,Count Basie

Artist History "We had to call the band something" says Martin Sensiper guitarist/leader of Surface Tensionan Orlando area jazz group. "I would have liked to call it something to do with the music, but I got over-ruled." Maybe the name relates to the prominence of water in the bizarre stringof co-incidences that involved the formation of the band. Martin, saxophonist Dave MacKenzie,drummer Walt Hubbard and bassist Ashley Wells, had met and even worked together, years before meeting again, quite by accident here in Orlando. Dave and Walt first met while in the Navy, stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. From 1982 to 1984, they played weekends (with Dave on guitar and harmonica) in a blues/rock band called "The Lords of the Fries". The band became very popular in southern France but broke up whenDave was discharged from the service. Walt continued on in the Navy and wound up stranded and broke in Australia. (More on that later). Dave returned home to New Jersey where he began studying the saxophone. While working in New Jersey and nearby New York City, Dave met investment banker and weekend fiddle player, Ashley Wells. Occasionally, they played together in the bluegrass band "Bullsh__". One Sunday in 1986, while playing for tourists on the ferry between Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, they struck upa friendship with an Australian, who was thinking of moving to the U.S. When the stockmarketcrashed in 1987, Ashley was forced to leave New York and moved (with his wife and five children) to Orlando.About that time, nearly 8000 miles away in a bar in Melbourne (Australia), drummer Walt Hubbardand sheep rancher/guitarist Martin Sensiper were putting together a band to play cruise ships.The blues band they put together, "The Blues Hawaiians", was moderately successful but ultimatelyended up stranded in Miami when they were asked to leave the ship. Walt stayed in Miami a few years,attending Miami University and later moved to Orlando where he worked briefly as an engineer fora large defense company.Martin got a job parking cars at an amusement park here in Orlando and continued to play music on the weekends. Quite by accident, he ran into Ashley Wells who was playing bass for the AltamonteSprings Jazz Ensemble. At some point, Ashley realized that Martin was the Australian he and Dave hadmet on the ferry in New York. Surface Tension was formed in March of 1991, when a jazz band was needed to play Friday and Saturdaynights at Chapters Coffeehouse in downtown Orlando (the club has since closed.) Although Dave MacKenzie was still living in New York, when called for the gig in Orlando, he jumped at the chance toplay saxophone and keyboards with his old friend Ashley, not realizing until the first rehearsal thatthe drummer on the job was his friend and former band mate from the Navy. The band plays mostly original tunes written by Dave, mixed in with jazz and bebop standards.Dave's music varies wildly in style. Some tunes are straight-ahead swing such as the "Gold Room",honoring a strip joint in Atlantic City. Some are more modern funk/fusion such as "A Little Mudmaker" named for a new addition to Walt's family. On the far extreme of "different" as tunes like"Particle Beam Atomizer - Test Probe Two" which feature Dave reciting Klingon poetry over a freeform interlude. Bowing to commercial reality, the band also plays an occasional cover of a pop tune (if requested!!).Surface Tension has been working more or less continuously for the last five years. They have acquired a small but dedicated local following, and have recently recorded some of Dave's tunes.

Group Members Ashley Wells - Bass / Martin Sensiper - Guitar / Dave MacKenzie - Saxophones(yes that's a bass sax in the picture) / Walt Hubbard - drums

Albums Partially Submerged

Press Reviews at 04:01 PM 10/6/99 -0700, you wrote:Hey Martin,As I sit here wondering why my 2nd order NUC doesn't work I think, hey, why don't I check out that mp3 site that you told me about. Hey I like the words to Worm- Hole but the picture looks like the hood to a Dodge Caravan. The picture with Termites is hard to make out but I sure hope you didn't sacrifice a real ES-335.The sound, well it's real monotonous...wait, sorry, that's the fan cooling the power supply. Actually, I guess there is no sound card in this computer. Guess I have to wait till I get home.Looks great,Jon

Location Orlando, FL - USA

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