Born and raised New York City. Lasts of a dying breed. Lead by Guitarist/Vocalist/Songwriter Izzy Zaidman (Wayne Hancock, Uncle F***er) along with Seth Kessel Bassist/Vocalist/Songwriter (Black Market Band, Blind Pharos) Izzy and the Kesstronics seamlessly blends 1950's Rock n' Roll with Classic Country, 1930's Swing, Surf and Bluegrass. Izzy and Seth are flanked by Joe Wilson (The Soul Company, The Times) on Sax, and Mark Ettingoff (Los Ogros Del Swing) on Drums. High energy and top level musicianship put Izzy and the Kesstronics at the forefront of the roots-based music scene, creating a sound that is both distinctly new and unique, yet stylishly familiar. A DAY IN THE LIFE 8 million+ people live in NYC. They coming flocking from West Bumblefuck and East Kakalakee to soak in the energy, the extremes. To travel the world and sharpen their claws on a subway ride through the most fast pace, high stakes, multi-cultural place on earth. Roosting place to the most influential musicians ever to live. Louis Armstrong, The Rolling Stones, George M. Cohan, Jimi Hendrix, The Bad Brains, Bob Dylan, Hoagy Carmichael and thousands of others have come here because where ever they came from sucked. By overall sonic comparison at least. You babysitters car horn blowing "La Cucaracha", your 5 year old ears hearing the new Sugar Hill Gang song 2 miles from Sugar Hill, living in fear with your ears pinned open for the footsteps of your daily violent crackhead confrontation, later to relieve the tension at a Cro-Mags show with people with similar concerns, the Merengue playing at the Bodega where you buy malt liquor for your high school hooky sex party, desperately trying to figure out what the F your Trinidadian w**d dealer is talking about, exploding manhole covers, pigeons cooing on your window sill, VooDoo drum circles in your local Park, finding the courage to finally confront your friends and say "Hey, I like the sound of the Banjo and f**k all y'all if you don't!" This is a small glimpse into the world of what molds a musician born and raised here. Laugh, because crying will get you nowhere. Three knuckleheads with all the rhythms and tones of the motherland stewing deep in their blood. We've lived it, we've heard it, we've felt it, we wave our native tongues in your direction. Grizzly Izzy Zaidman: Electric Git/Throat Former leader of cult heros, Speed Metal meets Bluegrass band Unclefucker. Veteran of Texas Rockabilly legend Wayne Hancock's band and the only lead guitarist featured on his most recent Viper of Melody CD, x-bandmate to members of Fela Kuti's band, Bad Brains, Slavic Soul Party and numerous Swing, Reggae, and Honky tonk outfits. Seth Kessel: Bass/Singin' Former leader of local Punk/Roots greats The Black Market Band, lead guitarist for the famed east cost Rockabilly band The Blind Pharoes, Hip Hop engineer for Busta Rhymes, Redman, Eric Sermon, MOP, Keith Murray and a gaggle of other hood rats. Joe M.F. Wilson: Sax/Backing Vox This tall and crazy alto saxist with elegant middle initials has been playing around the country with the Kesstronics since June. On this tour he is undergoing Izzy Zaidman's bootcamp of swing, if you will. Back home in the peaceful state of Brooklyn New York, Joe can be heard regularly with the Kesstronics, as well as with The Soul Company, The Times, and many smaller special artistic and jazz amalgamations. His saxophonics can be heard on recordings by Vieux Farka Toure (world pop from Mali), The Educataz (seattle hip hop), The Epochs (indy rock), Koba (NYC hip hop), The Dehydrators (ska punk), and many other projects. You can check some of this and his own tunes He likes new friends -- www.myspace.com/joemfwilsonsax. Mark Ettingoff (a.k.a. 'Mr. Mustache'): Drums/Back-Up Crooning Former vibraphonist of the monumental prototypes of Chilean pataphysics and mystic swing, Los Ogros Del Swing. Currently manning the drum stool for the freewheelin' jazz cartoonists, Sassafras Spine, among other jazz, technical rock and experimental outfits. To find out more you might try "Googling" him. Gasper Bertoncelj: Drums/Backing Vox from 2009 Tours While becoming known throughout the Slovene music scene, Gasper decided to expand his musical knowledge at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Austria. Encouraged by his teacher Doug Hammond he moved to New York City in 2002 and went to get his Master's degree at the City College of CUNY. Beside school he has been active in the NYC music scene as he explored different music genres like jazz, soul, country, rockabilly, rock, gospel, indie rock and such. He released two CD's as a leader and they feature some of the best jazz musicians in NY - "CAUTION! Hard Hat Area!" on Arabesque Recordings; "The Swingers of Jazz" on Goga Musica. These days Gasper hits the hell out of the drums while rounding out this trio. www.gasperbertoncelj.com For all business matters including booking contact: izzyandthekesstronics@gmail.com myspace.com/izzyandthekesstronics