tGz

about

TGZ Band is a high energy rock/jazz/blues ensemble of stellar, hand picked musicians based in Virginia Beach, VA The guys in the TGZ Band were all young men cutting their teeth in the world of pop and rock in 1977, the year "Aja" came out. The Steely Dan masterstroke, featuring radio mainstays such as "Peg" and "Deacon Blues," fused elements of jazz, rock and pop that few recording artists have matched since then. Such a sophisticated blending of styles was nothing new in 1977, when pop bands often braided disparate genres. But nearly 40 years later, when spirited and elegant improvisation is seldom, if ever, heard on mainstream radio, the TGZ Band is a keeper of the flame, so to speak. The 14-piece unit will headline tonight at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, sharing the bill with '70s pop-rock band Ambrosia. " 'Aja' is as hip as music can get," says guitarist Ed Zinner, a founding member and the "Z" in TGZ Band. "There were great solos, great vocals, great changes. That's the formula we've been trying to find. I think we're there." The group's debut, "Living Dangerously," appeared in 2006 and was a pop buffet of styles, from blues to salsa. On the upcoming follow-up, "Time to Begin," TGZ has streamlined its eclecticism, using "Aja" as something of a model. "There's a synergy here. Everybody is not just into the project but into the music," says Zinner, calling from his home in Virginia Beach. "You can hear the different influences. It's