Moss are comprised of five talented jazz-inspired singers.
Peter Eldridge from
the New York Voices and
Luciana Souza discussed the idea of getting together a quintet of open-minded and flexible vocalists several years before they gathered with
Kate McGarry,
Theo Bleckmann, and
Lauren Kinhan (also from
the New York Voices) in
Souza's apartment in 2005. Although all of the singers have strong individual musical personality, they agreed to work together in
Moss to create a new group sound, keeping their music very open while operating as equal partners. The singers come from diverse backgrounds, with
Bleckmann an innovator in utilizing electronics in his music,
Souza a leading force in modern Latin and South American music,
McGarry a master at combining jazz with aspects of folk music,
Kinhan having recorded with
Ornette Coleman, and
Eldridge being one of the main guiding forces behind
the New York Voices. As
Moss, they mix together jazz, electronica, folk, world music, classical, pop, rock, and poetry/spoken word, often using a rhythm section.
Moss first performed at Joe's Pub in Manhattan. Although they have sung in Los Angeles, most of their activity has been in New York and on the East Coast, when their busy schedules permit. In 2008 they released their first CD,
Moss. The results are a bit surprising, with the music being closer to folk, pop, and Gregorian chants than to jazz. In addition to originals,
Moss performed tunes by
Joni Mitchell,
Neil Young, and
Tom Waits plus
McGarry's adaptation of
E.E. Cummings' poetry on their debut. ~ Scott Yanow