Crazy Mary carries the flame for a time when downtown Manhattan was at its post-punk apex – gritty, smart, artful, edgy and sexy, before it succumbed to the forces of gentrification. But true to the ideals of the era from which they emerged, the band remains fully engaged with the modern, eschewing sentimentality and nostalgia. Their new EP, Onto Your Plane (Humsting Records 2024), takes full advantage of new singer, Zandrina's vocal prowess. It delves more deeply into R & B, soul and funk but still delivers an experimental, psychedelic surprise or two.
Crazy Mary began in 1998, founded by guitarist and songwriter Charles Kibel, a veteran of the Lower East Side rock scene, and drummer Nick Raisz. With eleven studio recordings to their credit (and two remix albums), the band has enjoyed extensive college radio play, favorable reviews in the New Yorker, the Boston Globe, the Village Voice, and by NBC Nightly News anchor, Brian Williams. In addition, they’ve played several festivals, including CMJ, the Howl Festival, the Nemo, Midpoint and others. Beginning in 2016 Crazy Mary was named a top 30 live band in New York City by Aquarian Weekly three years in a row. The band has played several times a month in New York for many years. Crazy Mary had successful shows in Hollywood’s famous Whisky A Go Go, sharing the bill with Iron Butterfly, The Mau Mau in London, UK, headlining The Portobello Festival and Las Vegas’ Double Down Saloon, expanding their audience.
As longtime vocalist, Emma Z returned to native Australia to raise her son, we tapped her and our good friend and collaborator, Zandrina Stewart, to be our new lead singer. Zandrina, who had contributed backup vocals to the band in the past, brings a powerful, soulful, delivery. She has a voice you want to listen to over and over. The Wizard of Fort Lee is our funky, nutty bass player and Walter Steding is on fiddle. Introduced to the band by Blondie founder Chris Stein, Steding was a pioneer of the No-Wave movement in the late 70’s, the leader of the TV Party Orchestra, Glenn O’Brien’s TV-show house band, in addition to recording with luminaries such as Robert Fripp and Jim Carroll. A solo artist in his own right, Steding was managed by Andy Warhol, for whom he worked as a painting assistant from 1980 up until Warhol’s death in 1987. Warhol produced Steding’s solo album, thereby earning Steding the distinction of being one of the two artists Warhol ever produced – the other one being the Velvet Underground.
Besides Zandrina, the newest members of the band are Robert Aaron on tenor sax and keys and Mac Gollehon on the trumpet. Both started appearing on stage with Crazy Mary in 2015 and are now featured on Onto Your Plane. Aaron was Wycliff Jean’s musical director for many years and plays the iconic tenor sax solo on Bowie’s Modern Love. He’s also recorded with Mick Jagger, Blondie, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, James Chance, Chic and others. Gollehon, nicknamed “Chops” by Miles Davis, has been on numerous hit records, most notably Let’s Dance by Bowie and numerous Duran Duran albums. He’s also recorded with Chic, Blondie, Sister Sledge, James Chance and many more.
