Banyan (band)

Banyan is an art rock band with heavy jazz and punk influence, based in Los Angeles, California.

Related Topics:
Art rock - Jazz - Punk - Los Angeles - California

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The leader and co-founder is Stephen Perkins, who first played drums for Jane's Addiction (1987-1991, plus later regroupings), and then for Porno for Pyros. He co-founded the group with David Turin. Nels Cline is the guitarist, Willie Waldman plays trumpet, and Mike Watt is the bassist. They are also sometimes joined by a saxophonist (name?) and the first EP featured Money Mark as keyboardist labeled as the Freeway Keyboardist.

Related Topics:
Stephen Perkins - Jane's Addiction - Porno for Pyros - David Turin - Nels Cline - Willie Waldman - Mike Watt - Money Mark

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In place of a singer, the Los Angeles artist Norton Wisdom paints on a wet-erase board while the band plays, and the imagery he creates interprets the music much in the same way that lyrics might. To see the band in more than one performance, you will see some images that recur and some that are new, since the songs are compositions whose structure remains the same while there is also a large amount of improvisation, in the jazz tradition.

Related Topics:
Norton Wisdom - Improvisation

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Notable guest appearances on the second album Anytime at All include Flea, John Frusciante, and Martyn LeNoble, Rob Wasserman and Buckethead. The album also featured songs with vocals by Watt.

Related Topics:
Flea - John Frusciante - Martyn LeNoble - Rob Wasserman - Buckethead

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For their third album Live At Perkins' Palace (named after the fact that it was recorded at Perkins' home studio, not after the live performance venue of the same name), the band reduced itself to a four-piece unit of Perkins, Watt, Cline, and Waldman.

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In liner notes and personal conversations, members of the band cite Igor Stravinsky and Miles Davis as influences.

Related Topics:
Igor Stravinsky - Miles Davis

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